Temptation
by RayGirl91
Summary: [Full sum inside.AU.Based on Twilight] 17yearold Rin moves to a new town and meets Sesshoumaru. She manages to see past his unusual exterior and discovers his darkest secret. He's a vampire. [Better than it sounds!]
1. Chapter 1

**_IMPORTANT – PLEASE READ:_** **Just to get this over with, this is just the first chapter. I won't continue this story until I finish The Old Switcheroo. I just thought I'd go ahead and post this to see if it would be any good or not.**

**Ok… -full summary- Rin moves to a new town to live with her adoptive mother. She goes to a new school and everyone seems pretty normal. Everyone except a certain senior named Sesshoumaru. She wants to get close to him and find out his hidden past and the reason behind his icy exterior, and he wants her as far away as possible. For some reason Sesshoumaru is finding it extremely hard to resist the bloodlust that clouds his mind whenever she is near! Dun dun dun… Better than it sounds. Based on an AWESOME book titled Twilight. READ IT.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Inuyasha characters or Twilight. (Why! -Commits suicide- I am now a dead authoress. O.O –hyper-)**

**Temptation (I suck at titles okay? -Grumbles- )**

**Chapter 1: Mistveils **

**:---:**

Rain splattered against the window, her breath fogged up the glass. Outside the sky was gray and dismal – as it had been for the past two days as she was driven to her new home. The pick-up truck she rode in might have been new once- or rather, _had_ been – but now it was just a rusting, dying version of what it once was. The seats were worn and the dash was full of dents, the paint chipping. She was surprised it had lasted this long.

"You'll love Mistveils," the woman driving informed her with the slight bob of her head. "Sure it rains quite a bit, but it's such a beautiful place. I've got your room set up and waiting for you. Doesn't that sound nice, Rin?"

The young woman nodded silently. The truck rumbled over a pothole, making both women bounce on the seat. Her suitcase, crammed full of everything she'd ever owned, slid on to the floor. She couldn't hear the loud thump it made over the roar of tires on gravel. The windshield wipers squeaked, and the woman who had adopted her – her new mother, perhaps? – hummed tunelessly.

"Almost there, sweetie. You think you'll want to start highschool right away or get settled in first?" The woman (her name was Remy, Rin suddenly recalled) watched her new daughter anxiously; palms sweaty on the stirring wheel.

"I can start as soon as you'd like," Rin answered finally. Remy turned back to watch the road, seemingly satisfied. Rin mentally noted the way Remy would run a hand through her short, dark hair when she was nervous. The woman wasn't attractive, but not ugly either. She was rather plain in fact, lacking any features that would set her apart from any other middle-aged woman.

"You'll love Mistveils," she repeated. Rin began to wonder whom Remy was trying to convince.

"I'm sure I will," Rin muttered. All ready she missed the warm winds and the always-shining sun of her old home. The orphanage had been overcrowded, but it was better that way. Less food at lunch, but also less time being noticed by others. Blending in was an art Rin could proudly admit perfecting.

Perhaps she should be touched this woman drove a thousand miles to adopt any child of her choosing, and chose _her_. "Its the eyes," Remy had commented making Rin self-conscious of her looks. Something that had never much bothered her before.

Hours of silence later, the pick-up thundered to a stop in the driveway of a shabby looking home, and died. Remy was smiling contently as she stepped out of the vehicle. "This is it! Don't worry about the outside, the inside makes up for it." She bounced almost giddily to the front steps and unlocked the door. "Hurry up, Rin! I can't wait to show you your room."

Rin grabbed her suitcase and set out into the drizzling rain to follow. So far, Mistveils proved everything Remy had mentioned about it. A small town with a nearly constant rain. Around it, dense woodland boasting redwoods and towering pines. The house did look a bit on the dilapidated side, but also welcoming with it's wide front door and forested backdrop.

There was a living room as soon as one entered, with a small kitchen to the left and set of stairs directly ahead. Hearing footsteps thumping overhead, Rin made her way up the creaking steps reluctantly. She noted the narrow hall. A bathroom, a closed door (probably Remy's bedroom), and then what had to be her own room. The door was open – inviting – and her new guardian moved about inside making last-minute adjustments.

Preparing herself, suitcase in hand, Rin stepped into her new bedroom. Vaguely, she realized, _I've never had my own room before…_

Halfway up the walls and down was a dark wooden border. The rest of the wall was covered with bright, yellow wallpaper that sported small dots of a different shade of yellow. She had one window – facing the woods – a small bed (garbed in a yellow bedspread), a side table, dresser, and closet. For some reason, Rin suddenly remembered she loathed the color yellow.

"Do you like it?" Remy asked. She looked from Rin's face, around the room she had so diligently worked at to prepare, and then back at Rin. She folded her arms across her chest, anxious, and tapped her fingers against her side.

The young woman swallowed hard, and then smiled brightly. "I _love_ it! _Thank you_ so much." Emphasis on the 'thank you' and 'love'. Deeply pleased with herself for, well, pleasing her new daughter, Remy gave Rin a quick hug and headed out.

"We'll get you some new things tomorrow. I'll have dinner ready in a jiffy!"

_In a jiffy_. Rin thought with a silent sigh. Despite the obvious expanse between them, she was already starting to love Remy Hotari.

**:---:**

Rin began school a few days after arriving at her new home. Mistveils Highschool – Home of the Wild Wombats. She'd learned from Remy – apparently the people knew _everything_ about everything in little towns – that it had been the Environmentalists United club's idea. So as of today, Rin was officially a Wild Wombat. Exciting prospect to think about, ya know?

She had driven the pick-up to school that morning – in the rain, of course – and after checking in at the office, jumped into the sea of ever moving students who flooded the hallways. The school was small, but clean and surprisingly efficient and social. Five minutes into her first day as a junior, and already a small group was crowding her. Two girls (both juniors as well), and a boy (a senior, and he made sure she knew it).

"We have two classes together! First period English and 4th period Pre-cal!" A blonde announced with a toss of her hair.

"And I have 2nd period Home Ec. With you and… that's _it_," the brunette finished lamely reading Rin's schedule over the young woman's shoulder.

The senior – Kohaku, he had said? – Wrapped his arm around her waist and tugged her against him. "Want me to give you a tour, Rachel?"

"Rin," She corrected him flatly and pulled away. "And, no thank you."

Kohaku shrugged, giving his head a shake and ruffling his black bangs. "Sure? I know this place like the back of my hand."

Rin nodded. "Positive."

He was already beginning to float off in the mass of students. "See ya later, Lin."

"Don't mind Kohaku," the blonde spoke up. "Let's go on to English. I'll introduce you to Mrs. Takahashi. It's not everyday we get a new student. Last one came my freshman year."

**:----:**

Rin slammed her locker shut. Two periods down, and already she had more homework than she would ever care to do. The young woman was a bit surprised to find herself rather alone in the hallway. _Everyone must be eager for lunch…_she thought idly. With the awful smells wafting the school she couldn't see why. Maybe small-town kids thrived on slop? It was a concept to explore.

The cafeteria was a large, loud, room of chaos. Freshmen and sophomores jumped about in a sugar-rush, cluttered into their own groups on the right side of the cafeteria. Juniors and seniors mixed and conversed on the left. She cut through the long zigzagging line of students waiting to be served and sat down alone at an empty table. The brunette from before had made no more attempts to speak to her, but the blonde always met her in the hallways. She said her name was Brittany, her family had lived in Mistveils for generations, and Kohaku was _hers_. Did Kohaku know about her little claim?

Frankly, Rin couldn't care less.

Her gazed wondered about. A group of guys were trying to start a food fight (failing at it, too), some girls were having what looked to be a dance-off (failing as well), and what was labeled the drama group were rehearsing a play of some sort (Music Man?). No one seemed to notice the solemn, silent girl watching him or her so intently. Or so it seemed, at first.

His frame was muscular, but not overly much. Unusually long silver hair flowed smoothly down his back. A crescent moon sat perfectly in the center of his brow, and two magenta stripes adorned each cheek. A demon. Rare in Mistveils, but not surprising. Rin blinked, the corners of her mouth turning down in the beginnings of a frown. The fact he was staring at her didn't catch her off guard, it was the intensity of his stare. Two dual gold hues of ice piercing her calm-exterior. A chill ran up her spine.

And then anger boiled in the pit of her stomach. Rin frowned. What had she done to earn that total look of hate? He seemed completely disgusted somehow. Losing the control she had managed to keep for a whole week until now, Rin stood and stormed over to his table. (Which was situated in an isolated corner of the cafeteria.) "What's your problem?" She bit out, stopping in front of him.

A bit surprised by her offense, his expression remained the same. "I was unaware I had a problem." Rin figured his deep voice might actually have been a pleasing one if it wasn't dripping with sarcasm and abhorrence. Then again, she could be wrong.

She slid into the seat across from him. "Look, topic change. I doubt I want to know. Why are you sitting here by yourself?"

"Perhaps I choose too?"

"Is it because you're a demon?" Rin guessed, taking in the fact everyone else was mainly human. Though that boy, Shippou, _might_ be one.

He tensed slightly. "Do you find that I am youkai a problem?"

The young woman shook her head. "I grew up in a big city. Demons were as common as humans. Hanyou, too." Her stomach growled. "Aren't you hungry? Are you going to eat?"

"Rin!" Brittany cried running up from nowhere. She took hold of her friends arm and pulled her from the seat with a nervous glance at him. "Come on. Sit over here with me."

Rin nodded and allowed herself to be pulled off. _Its like she's afraid of him._ "I'll be seeing you!" She called to the silver haired demon. He made no move to answer her. Turning to Brittany, she sighed. "Who was that guy?"

"His name is Sesshoumaru Tenseiga. As far as anyone knows he lives alone on the edge of town. Very unfriendly, barely at school, and he keeps to himself. Even worse, he's a _dog demon_!" She paused to take a breath and cast an uneasy glance over her shoulder. Her voice dropped to a whisper. "We all really wish he'd just go. No one trusts him. No one."

Rin lowered her gaze. "Why not?"

"Didn't you just talk to him? He's like, a _murderer_ waiting to happen!"

"Well," she began quietly, "_I_ have no reason not to trust him." And then she sat down to wait out the rest of lunch. The whole time she could swear she felt Sesshoumaru's eyes on her back…

**:---:**

Rin banged her fist against the dashboard. "Why won't you start!" She demanded, trying again. The truck gave a short groan, and fell silent. She watched the rain splash against the front window, making little patterns out of them with imaginary lines. By now the parking lot of Mistveils Highschool was nearly deserted. A few vehicles scattered about. Rin bit her bottom lip. A knock on the passenger door made her jump. She turned to see who was responsible, and her stomach did a flip-flop.

Sesshoumaru?

Without waiting for Rin to make any move he opened the door and climbed in. A long, black thin coat covered up his clothes, and the seat was damp now from the water dripping from him. Golden eyes turned to catch her brown ones, and he gave a small smile. Snapping out of her daze, she narrowed her eyes. "What are you doing?"

Sesshoumaru stared out his window. "Sorry," he said blandly, hesitantly. If she had known any better, Rin would have accepted this and got on. But how was she to know him apologizing to anyone for anything might as well have been a sign of the apocalypse?

"For what you did at lunch or for getting my truck uninvited?" She demanded, annoyed.

"Both, maybe," He answered with a shrug. He reached over, took hold of her key, and turned it. The truck roared to life. That done, he opened the car door and walked way after slamming it closed. Rin blinked. _How did he…?_

**:---:**

**WEE! Chapter one. Heh. REVEW OR DIE MWHAHAHA! No really, tell me what you think. Too descriptive, to boring? I know Sesshoumaru was out of character but he's going to be just a bit. If that bothers anyone, just don't read. O.o;**


	2. Chapter 2

**Author notes: WOW! I was expecting maybe one or two reviews on this story, but I got quite a few. o.o Thank you all so much! You each gave great criticism and it was your great comments that got me to post this chapter early. (By the way, ask if you'd like an English-to-Japanese glossary at the end of each chapter).**

**Sugarsweet pie, Squishy Penguin (YAY Fellow Twilight lover! A Trilogy! OMFG! YES!), Rindemongal, Angels Heart 1622, inconsequential, D.C Talk, Kurama Taisho (Go owner of cool name!), Shandreanna, wentaka (More twilight love!), and Inuyasha luvr, this chapter is dedicated to all of you. I hope you enjoy it as much as the first. I'm listening to 'Suds in the Bucket' over and over while I write so if anything is weird… yea.**

**Temptation (The _temptation_ not to do my algebra is great. Boo 8th grade!)**

**Chapter 2: Wanting**

**:-------:**

Despite its obviously poor condition, Rin found the radio still worked quite well in the old truck and was content listening to the classical music – which also happened to be the _only_ music she could pick up with the flimsy antennae on the hood. She gripped the steering wheel tightly with both hands. The streets weren't at their best, the rain having washed away a few nice junks of the gravel roads.

The windshield wipers rattled violently, threatening to fall off as she drove over a pothole. _I don't know whether to love this old thing or hate it._ She turned down Mistveils's main street and was unsurprised to find it rather deserted. The town hall, post office, and stores were dull. Against the dismal, rainy sky everything united to form one big unattractive picture.

Her eyes glazed over with boredom. She eased up on the gas and hummed one of the nameless tunes she had already picked up from Remy. _I don't know whether to like or hate Sesshoumaru. He was downright rude before, but a while ago he seemed fine. Almost normal._ She shook her head at the thought. _No, not normal. Never normal. No one who looks that godly perfect is normal. _Her cheeks warmed at that thought.

A low roll of thunder signaled the start of a downpour. Rin smiled a bit. She liked thunderstorms. In fact, she found she preferred them to just simple rain. Blinking, she focused her eyes back ahead to see a brick wall racing towards her. Eyes wide and mouth agape in a silent scream, she rammed her foot into the brake. The pick-up roared in protest. It swerved, teetering dangerously to the left, before stopping. Its corner was just grazing the building.

Rin slowed her breathing, and climbed out. She stared at the damage. Skid marks on the road, and now her mode of transportation's awful paint job was in even worse shape. A sort of high-pitched boy's voice made her nearly jump out of her skin. "Oh my God, are you _all right_?" She turned to face the owner and recognized it as Shippou, a fellow junior Wombat. His red hair was matted to his head, wet, and green eyes sparkling with obvious concern.

"I'm fine, but my truck's took a little beating," Rin answered with a gentle laugh. Lightning split the darkened sky. Her clothes hung heavy and wet. She could feel her mid-length ebony hair plastered to her. "I'm sure everything still works though."

He closed the small gap between them with a light jog. "I'm Shippou," he announced happily outstretching a hand, "And you're Rin."

"Geeze, how did you _ever_ guess?"

He flashed a charming smile demonstrating two rows of perfect, white teeth. "Small town, new face. It gets around. Are you sure you're all right? You smell scared."

Rin blinked. She stared up at him curiously. "I _smell_ scared?" Shippou nodded. He waited a moment, the gap in speaking filled with spits of thunder and rain splattering on the pavement. Taking a deep breath, he drew back a bit of hair that covered his ears. Rin smiled. "I knew it. Your eyes were _too_ green…" She paused.

"I'd like to stay and help," He said – and she could tell he was earnest – "but I need to go visit someone." Rin waved, and climbed into the truck. She watched him jog off into the haze of heavy rain. The seat was sopping wet by now. Her hands trembled slightly in her lap. _Close one… Maybe this town has it in for me._

Another clap of thunder. She winced slightly. The loud eruption of sound didn't help the headache now pooling just behind her eyes. And that's when she looked over and saw the passenger door open. He slid into the seat, just as – if not more so – wet as her. Rin stared in disbelief. He stared right back, emotionless. "What are you doing?" She demanded suddenly.

"Sheltering myself from the storm," Sesshoumaru answered casually. Did he ever have to stop to think up a response?

"Well I need to get home so could… you get out?" She tried to sound indifferent, but it was a hard thing for her to accomplish when she caught his molten gaze. Rin swallowed.

Sesshoumaru was silent. He turned to look out the front window; as he had the first time he'd climbed into the pick-up uninvited. And that was when Rin noticed the sharp, long claws adorning each of his slender digits. His hand rested on to seat just inches away. Two magenta stripes at the wrists made them even more perfect than they already seemed to be. She shifted uncomfortably. "I won't hurt you," he announced coldly, disgusted with what he took for her fear.

"I neither thought nor insinuated you would," Rin countered. Her grip on the steering wheel tightened. She felt suddenly warmer.

"Indeed," he muttered quietly. His mind was racing, heart beat quickening. He clenched his hand into a fist, claws digging into the smooth flesh of his palm. Rin watched him, becoming aware of his sudden frustration.

"S- Sesshoumaru?" she stammered nervously. He turned to look at her. Silver hair spilled over his shoulder, eyes distant. He was taken aback by how much he found himself enjoying the sound of his name on her lips.

_What's wrong with me?_ He wondered. _I can't stay here much longer… I might lose myself…_

She pursed her lips a moment before continuing. "Are you okay?"

_I don't understand. Her scent is different. Her eyes are different. She's a human. She's just a human wench. I've only known her a day._ Sesshoumaru found himself locked on her lips. His gaze traveled down her slender neck, and his blood ran cold. Breathing ragged, he thrust the passenger side door open and was gone.

Rin was left stunned, looking at where he had sat less than a moment before. He had disappeared so quickly. If the seat had not been wet she would have convinced herself it was just her whacked imagination; that Sesshoumaru had never even been there in the first place. She closed her eyes and melted into the sound of the rain.

**:----:**

Remy sat the phone down on the base easily. It made a small _click_. She turned back to the stove; a pot full of what was meant to be soup was boiling over. The woman stirred it twice and dropped a lid over it just as the front door opened to reveal her new – and dripping - daughter. "Rin, welcome home! How was school?"

Rin smiled. She dropped her backpack near the coat rack and slid into a wooden chair near the kitchen table. The girl decided to keep news of her wreck quiet and smiled contentedly. "Great for my first day," she answered carefully editing out what he thought unnecessary for her adoptive mother to know. "Homework already, though."

"Ah, I almost forgot," Remy perked up. She flounced to the table and picked up a cream-colored envelope. "It's from the orphanage, for you." Rin took the letter and held it delicately in hand.

"You… didn't open it?"

"Why would I do that, dear? It's addressed to you." And then she went about trying to do mission impossible – saving the soup. Her tuneless hums and mumbled lyrics filled the air.

_They always opened our mail at the orphanage._ Rin remembered. Not that she got any letters, anyway. She just knew from the experience of others. Slowly, she opened the envelope and pulled out a piece of paper. One was formal and typed. She scanned over it and handed it to Remy. "They want to check-up on me to make sure I'm comfortable." She said and turned to the other piece of paper.

It was green, and had been written on with a red ink pen. The colors clashed, but they let her know immediately who had composed it. It was from Kagome, the overseer at the orphanage. She always paid special attention to the oldest – and quietest – girl there. _Me._ Rin thought, missing her friend. She began to read.

_Yo Rin-chan,_

_You've only been gone less than a week it seems so empty here without you. I decided to sneak this letter in with your notice. If I can get them to agree I'll be doing the inspection! _

_We're running out of places to put all the kids coming in. I'm glad you got adopted out. It's a real mess here. I know how organized you are. You would have hated it. _

_Sango and Miroku are still dating. I know you met them a few times. He's still a pervert, but he wouldn't be Miroku if he weren't. Lol (excuse my computer speak) remember that time he groped you and Sango gave him what for? Your face was priceless._

_I've saved the best news for last. Inuyasha proposed! Of course I said yes. We haven't set a date for the marriage yet. Hopefully ASAP! Write me back. I wrote my home address on the back of this letter. Don't lose it. Let me know exactly how things have been. _

_Always here for you,_

_Kagome Higurashi_

Rin folded the letter and smiled. She had wondered if Kagome would remember her. "Uh… Remy?" She began sheepishly. She hated not knowing what to call Remy. Should she call her 'mom' or was first name all right?

The woman turned around from her brewing concoction and nodded. "Yes, honey?"

"When we went shopping the other day, do you know where I put the stationary?"

"I stuck it in the drawer of your bedside table," She answered almost immediately. "Photographic memory." Remy tapped her head with a finger proudly. "Used to come in handy all the time in highschool."

Rin laughed softly and thanked her. She grabbed the weighty backpack and rushed up creaking steps. The silent thought of her stepping down to hard and falling right through had crossed her mind quite a few times. _I hate these steps._ She concluded swiftly and closed the door behind her upon entering the Yellow Room. (A name she had mentally picked that seemed to suit it perfectly.)

Rin fumbled with the drawer, jerking it open. She pulled out a black sheet of paper and silver gel pen (Remy's choice). Settling herself on the bed with a thick book to help write, she began the letter. Her writing looped and curvy, unique yet sloppy. Not a girly handwriting, but clearly not a boy's either. It had been that way since the fifth grade and she figured it would be that way until she died.

_Dear Kagome,_

_Mistveils is great._ (Not a full lie, she did think it had it's own charm.) _My new peers at school are cool too. Everyone's always polite, _(save Sesshoumaru) _and Remy has made me feel right at home. I've even sort of got my own car now. It's a reliable old Ford. _(Well, it is old all right.) _Getting my license came in handy after all. Who would have thought? My room is just right._ (Well, she couldn't complain anyway.) _It always rains here, but I guess that's why it's called Mistveils. Sorry the letter is so short. _

_-Rin_

_P.S. Married? That's AWESOME Kagome!_

_P.P.S. How many kids you think you'll have with Inuyasha?_

_P.P.P.S. Juts kidding. You have plenty of time for that! _

Rin checked it for grammar or spelling errors. Satisfied, she slipped it into an envelope and copied Kagome's address on to it. She licked the seal and closed it. "I hope she gets it soon…" Rin muttered to herself. She had known Kagome for years and was thrilled her best friend had written her at all. The young woman sat the book she had used on the floor and stretched out on the bed, head on the pillow. _I still haven't unpacked my suitcase._

**:----:**

He stood silently in the open doorway, leaning against the frame with his hands folded over his chest. The forest seemed almost as uneasy as he did. The sound of leaves rattling by the storm was a usual one, but he found it annoying and more loud than usual. His heart throbbed hungrily in his chest. _How can she have this effect on me?_ He thought with a low growl.

Sesshoumaru closed his eyes. His stoic expression remained as it was, but inside he was in a small state of panic. He had almost lost it earlier. And what if he _had_ given in? The fox would have caught the coppery scent of blood almost as soon as it had been spilled. He would have rushed back to see his friend. And what would he have seen?

He wanted to push her back to where she had come, but at the same time he wanted to pull her against him and keep her there, where she should be safe. But she would never be safe this close. Something about her scent made him do things he never would normally. _But why?_ He asked furiously. _She's just a human. Her appearance isn't anymore outstanding than other humans. _

"S-Sesshoumaru-sama?" A voice questioned timidly from behind. "Are you all right?"

He pushed himself to a straighter posture and turned. The door slammed shut, glass shattering across the wooden floor. "I am fine, Jaken," he bit out coldly. Jaken jumped back, head bowed. He nodded.

"Of c-course, Sesshoumaru-sama!" He confirmed quickly. "Forgive this Jaken for bothering you!" He took off on short legs, hurrying to find a broom and dustpan to clean up the glass. _I don't care what milord says. Something is troubling him greatly._

**:------:**

**Eep. I don't like this chapter AT ALL. I decided to go ahead and update though because everyone liked it so much. -Hugs all- Sesshoumaru seemed very OOC in this but he'll get more in character soon. I have a lot planned for this story. –Dances- Are the chapters too long? Are the chapters too short? _REVIEW PLEASE! _**

**IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR A GOOD INUYASHA FANFICTION GO HERE: **

**Http/inuyashaficlist.livejournal .com/ (No spaces, yo.)**

**FAQ:**

**Q: Omg is this based on Twilight?**

**A: Geeze, maybe?**

**Q: What happened to Fire and Ice?**

**A: …what? o.o I don't know what you're talking about. –heh heh-**

**Q: Is Sesshoumaru a demon and a vampire?**

**A: Of course he is. –sexy-**

**Q: How old are the characters?**

**A: Rin is 17, Sesshoumaru _appears_ 20-ish (wha? And he's a senior? Yea, I know), Kagome, Inuyasha, Sango, and Miroku are around 20, and Shippou and Kohaku are 17.**

**If you have a question or one I forgot to answer, leave it in a review or email me! **


	3. Chapter 3

**NOTES: Well, this chapter is basically about the little surprise I've pulled out of my bacon-bin. No, not my hat. My bacon-bin. (Really I owe the idea to _Blue is for Nightmares_. EVERYONE READ IT.) Anyway, review responses will be at the end of the chapter. I'll go light on the Japanese; I know not everyone obsesses over it. Heh. Review! (Can't say that enough.)**

**Her dream is in italics.**

**Temptation (The _temptation_ to eat pizza is sexy.) (Yea, I'll do one ever time.)**

**Chapter 3: Wicca**

**:---:**The author has no idea what day it is so she'll say Saturday**:---:**

The darkness pressed firmly against her. The uncertainty in the air was thick. She fumbled about, fingertips brushing against what felt like tree-bark and plants. A crunch of dead matter underfoot. It was cold, and she shivered. Rin was lost.

"Hello?" someone – perhaps she? – called out. The voice wavered, and faded into the night. A hot breath on her cheek. She froze, her body rigid. Strong hands secured themselves around her waist and arms. Unable to move, her chest constricted. Something sharp grazed her neck. She screamed.

"No!" Rin shot out of bed. The grip on her covers was tight, and cold sweat trickled down her forehead. The young woman fell back against her pillow. The rapid rise and fall of her chest slowed to a normal pace, but her mind was still racing. Outside her window rain fell steadily and an oblivious owl hooted and took off with a whoosh of air to seize its next meal.

Throwing back the blankets, her feet hit the cold floor. Moonlight pooled in the room, giving just enough light for her to see. Rin tiptoed to her closet and opened the door. She grit her teeth when it gave a whine of protest. "Stay asleep Remy…" She muttered under her breath.

The young woman reached into the dark and pulled out her worn, brown suitcase. She settled her self on the floor and eased the lid open. Rin smiled at the assortment of goods crammed tightly inside. Gradually, she relocated the contents to the floor; lain out so that she could reach them all more easily.

She picked out a long, thin white candle and sat it aside. Next she took up a small glass bottle and let a few droplets of olive oil fall on to her index finger.

She touched the top end of candle with the oil-covered finger. "As above," she whispered slowly and then trailed her finger along to touch the bottom of the candle. "So below." Rin wet her finger again, and placed in the center of the surface. She dragged it from the center, upward, and then returned to the center. She did the same going downwards and then returning again. Turning the candle around 90 degrees to the left, the action was repeated.

When the candle was fully anointed, the young woman lit it with a long match (from the suitcase again, of course) and placed it gently on a silver holder. My mother's, she thought sadly. It was her favorite for that reason; and it was dish like with a curved handle that wound around the base.

Piling the things – save the candle – back into the suitcase she hid it again in her closet. Rin carried the candle to her bedside table and placed it there. In the light of the waxing moon she could see the small bit of smoke dance in time with the orange flame. Ever since her first day in Mistveils, she had been plagued by nightmares. All similar to the one she'd had earlier.

"Protect me from harm," Rin said quietly. She did her best to ignore the sound of rain and focus on the moon. She had always had dreams, but never so vivid or real enough to scare her as these did. "Protect me from harm," she repeated again. With a small squeak of the mattress as she slipped into bed, Rin said the phrase for a third and final time. The candle light flickered and the shadows danced around the room.

**:---:**

"Rin? Rin, honey," Remy cooed prodding her lump of a new daughter. "You're not going to sleep your whole Saturday away are you?" She pulled on the covers a bit and then gave up. The older woman's eyes drifted to the candle at Rin's bedside. Well, what had been a candle. It was now a chunk of white wax on a silver dish. Where did she get this…?

"I'llbeupinaminute," Rin mumbled in a slur, turning over. Something seemed different, but she couldn't put her finger on it.

"I can't cook breakfast this morning. I promised to help with bingo down at the Catholic church," Remy paused, "you'll be all right by yourself?"

"Mhm. Enjoy yourself."

Her adoptive mother's smile grew. "Great. I'll be back around one. Rumiko is driving so the pick-up's yours." She set off hurriedly, the stairs creaking beneath her weight. Rin sat up minutes after she heard the front door close, almond eyes peering drowsily about the Yellow Room. She stood, stretched, and went about her morning routine.

She threw on a pair of jeans and a beige t-shirt. Not too loose, but not quite tight either. Ebony locks brushed and then left alone, she stared at herself in the bathroom mirror. Her skin wasn't dark, but certainly tanner than the kids around Mistveils. With a crooked smile at herself, Rin set off downstairs. I'll just go out and grab a dew, she decided. And then drive around to check out the area.

It seemed like a good plan at the time. But now, rocketing down gravel roads with a mountain dew held between her legs sloshing this way and that, she wasn't so sure. Rin had assumed there would be something to look at besides endless trees, but then again. What had I been thinking?

She turned on to another road and watched the array of browns and greens blur outside the window. The only thing missing was rain. White cloud had parted to allow the sun through and it shown brilliantly, glad to finally be able to set Mistveils awash in its fiery glow. She had grown so used to the sound of rain thudding against – well – everything, it had seemed unusual without it at first.

Rin blew black bangs out of her eyes and sipped at her fountain drink. She bounced on the seat and the truck left a long trail of thrown-up rocks behind it. It gave three short beeps, warning her the gas was low. Rin turned down another road, hoping to circle back and find the gas station to fill it up. She idly reached over and flipped the radio on, settling almost immediately on country music. So classical wasn't all she could get?

The pick-up's digital clock, which was a bit hard to read, read 11:00AM. She rolled the window down - old style with the knob you had to crank around - and enjoyed the crisp, cool air of new spring. "Watch out brother, for that long black train…" she sang along with the radio. (A/N: Love that song. Also love Sesshoumaru, but that's off-topic.)

The truck groaned and crawled to a shaky stop. Rin groaned right along with it. Miles – for all she knew, anyway – from anywhere and she was out of gas. The radio was still playing, running from the battery, she turned it off and climbed out. Push it, she resolved sadly. If I can even budge it that is. Dragging her feet, Rin moved behind the vehicle and braced herself against it.

"One… two… three!" She heaved. And pushed. And pressed all her weight against it. And it refused to move. Catching her breath, she tried again. No result. Rin's frown deepened as she fell against it to rest. "Stupid piece of crap…"

It seemed like she sat that way forever with her back against the truck and the wind whipping wisps of hair around her face. The sun seemed to start burning blisters into her exposed skin. I'd better not get a sunburn, she thought bitterly. No idea how long she'd sat, the sound of tires roaring over gravel reached her ears. Rin lit up, hopeful as it drew closer.

A black Corolla shot by, pelting her with small chips of flying rock. It came to an abrupt stop and pulled to the side of the road. The driver's side door opened slowly, and Sesshoumaru emerged from it. His eyes focused on Rin as he shut the door and walked over – too gracefully, she decided, to be human (which, obviously, he wasn't) – to her and the pick-up. She silently marveled at how the wind seemed to leave his hair untouched and yet battle with hers.

He halted feet from her. Rin smiled. "Yo."

"Hn." Sesshoumaru had his hands in his pockets, face expressionless as ever.

"I'm sure you didn't stop to chat," Rin pointed out nonchalantly, still resting against the fender of the truck. She placed a lock of unruly hair behind an ear. "We hardly know each other and we're not on good terms, I guess, but I ran out of gas and I was wondering-"

"If I could help you out," He finished; bored. Cold golden eyes met warm almond hues.

Rin swallowed. "Yea, if it wouldn't be too much trouble…" She fiddled nervously with her t-shirt; feeling suddenly self-conscious in his presence.

"…" Sesshoumaru turned, and headed back to his Corolla. Taking a deep breath, she followed. I'll take his silence as a yes, she decided. Rin slid in the passenger seat next to him. She promptly put on her seatbelt and sat quietly with her hands now folded in her lap and feet tucked close to the seat. He started the car, and took off.

Sure, she drove over the speed limit occasionally, but the way he was accelerating now was madness. Pure-T-madness. Wide-eyed, Rin gripped the door handle. "Slow down!" She squeaked pathetically over the roar of the flying gravel.

"I'm driving," he answered, not peeling his eyes off the road. Rin glared at him and blinked in surprise at how tense he was. She bit the inside of her cheek. "Not you." He finished.

Rin relaxed after a few minutes. She refused to look at the speed dial, but she had a feeling he was in control. "Thank you again, Sesshoumaru." She said his name shyly. He gave no indication he'd heard. "I'll call someone to tow the pick-up into town as soon as I get home…"

"Hn." His back was pressed against the seat, clawed digits digging into the steering wheel. He drove with only one hand, the other resting near Rin's arm. She glanced down at his wrists; his sleeve pulled back just enough to reveal two twin magenta stripes.

On his hands too? I wonder where else he has them? Her face reddened immediately. No, bad Rin! Her hand unconsciously inched closer to his. Timidly, she outstretched a finger and smoothed it gently over one of the stripes. The flesh felt different there – warmer.

Sesshoumaru flinched the moment he felt her delicate touch on his wrist and jerked his arm away. He glared icily at her through narrowed eyes. Rin snatched her hand back. "I- I'm sorry. I guess curiosity got the best of me."

"Curiosity," he said flatly, "killed the cat."

And Rin had to choose that moment to laugh. Who could blame her? She was simple-minded and he was a dog demon after all, right? Sesshoumaru arched one of his perfect brows inquiringly. (A/N: That's right, purrrfect.)

"Sorry!" she said in a pitch a notch higher than normal. She pressed her body against the passenger side door, as far from him as possible. He turned back to the road now, just as they entered Mistveils. Taking a few sharp lefts and rights, he stopped the Corolla outside her home. Rin thanked him and stepped out of the car.

"Thanks," She said again.

"Hn."

As she was shutting the door, she stopped midway. "Wait a minute! How do you know where I live!"

"Small town?" He suggested with an undertone. Rin bit the inside of her cheek once more. Closing the door, she watched him pull away and drive off.

Creep. She decided. She also decided she hated the way he was always so guarded. And tense. And quiet. And she absolutely, without a doubt hated how he could somehow make her heart do flip-flops just by being near her. Definitely a creep.

Turning on her heel, Rin headed toward the waiting house. She could hear the sounds of the forest behind it, louder than usual – animals rejoicing for the sunlight, perhaps – and inwardly smiled. It's not so bad here. Certainly more interesting than I figured it would be.

Overhead, gray clouds were skirting the edges of the blue sky and moving in. They promised rain, lightening, and thunder. One didn't need to check the weather in Mistveils. It was – after all – always the same. Thunder rolled in the distance and the sun began its last hours of shine until the next day it would be lucky enough to break free.

Rin glanced at the clock. 12:58PM. Right on time. She collapsed on to a lumpy, plaid sofa in the living room and stared at the blank television screen. She felt heavy, and her lids drooped. Long-forgotten memories began to fog her mind, and she shuffled through their iron shackles. Mom…

**:---:**

**A bit shorter than the other chapters. Sorry. I hope this chapter wasn't so God-awful. I don't think I used any Japanese… so, let's jump right into these author notes and such!**

**Q: How long is this going to be?**

**A: At the rate I'm going? Easily 15-25 chapters.**

**Q: Are Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru related?**

**A: You'll find out soon. –Devious grin-**

**AL REVIEWERS GET GLOMPED! YAY! SO REVIEW!**

**D.C Talk: Arigatou! I'm trying my best to keep this going. –Glomps-**

**Squishy Penguin: I was worried about the length. Thanks! –Glomps-**

**Secret angel Forever21**: **The best? Really? -dies- Thank you! –Glomps-**

**Pheonixkid: Thank you very much. –Glomps-**

**Karina: -Glomps- Arigatou Mr. Roboto! (or is it.. Miss Roboto?)**

**Fanay-chan: Wow. I wasn't even aware I had a style of writing. Yay! Thank you very much, yo! –Glompers-**

**MindIIBody: I'm trying to get Sesshoumaru into character the best I can. He started out WAY out there. –Glomps-**

**Angels Heart 1622: I'll update as quickly as possible my friend! –Glomps-**

**InnocentLamb: Ew, yuck. You don't get a reply. Mwahaha! XD**

**Moonlitstardestiny: Thank you! –glomps- Strange indeed. O.o**

**IYGU: I'm doing my best on killing typos! Die typo demons. –sob- -Glompers you-**

**Sugarsweet pie: Really? Thanks! –Glomps tight- Yay!**

**Inugirlfan1: You're not sexy enough to receive a right reply either. Yay!**

**Gracelyn: You'll have to send me some of those Sess/Rin vampire fics. I've not been lucky enough to come across one myself yet. –glomps-**

**Looking for a good fic (Sess/Rin, Sess/Kag, Inu/Kag, San/Mir, Sess/Inu whatever) Go HERE: Http/inuyashaficlist.livejournal .com/ (no spaces)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Okay! Right now I'm listening to 'Suds in the Bucket' again. Heh. What can I say? I love the song. Anyway, I want to apologize for the slow update. I'm honestly trying. I hope you can forgive me, and will continue to read. Speaking of reading, I love all my readers! I only have 3 chapters and already have 42 REVIEWS! That's right 42! I've never been so jovial! You guys (and girls!) make writing this fan fiction worthwhile. I'll stop blabbering now so you can get to what you really want to read... the chapter! For those bothering to read the author notes, thank you.**

**Temptation (The _temptation_ to claim Sesshoumaru as mine is steadily increasing.)**

**Chapter 4: Memories**

**:-: signals the beginning and end of a flash back. As always:----: are the dividers.**

**:-----:**

Remy floated about the kitchen trying to make an acceptable Sunday dinner. Pot roast and biscuits, she had informed her adopted daughter cheerfully. Rin was reclined on the sofa, using the light (which wasn't much, seeing as it was raining) coming in from the window to read from a random romance book she'd happened across. So far, it proved only vaguely interesting.

You see, the main character Jennifer was in love with Todd, and Todd's brother was in love with Jennifer. Not to mention, Todd only had eyes for Jennifer's mother, and Todd's brother's stepmother was infatuated with Jennifer's uncle's fifth cousin once removed. Or… er… something. She had lost track by the third chapter.

She _had_ honestly tried to read her English book before, but it was really pointless. She had all ready taken the class. The Wombats had somehow missed this and placed her in it again. She'd be a fool to say anything when she could get by acing a class so easily!

Rin snapped the book closed and sat it on the coffee table. One could only do so much inside before the constant soggy weather had them bored out of their mind. None of the adolescences in Mistveils seemed to care much about the rain, content with remaining indoors. This proved a vexing problem. Hands resting across her abdomen, she let her head fall back on a hard pillow and dozed.

**:-:**

Soft light washed over the forest floor, dappled by the thick canopies of the trees. She whooped for joy, skipping merrily in front of her mother, and holding her hand tight. "Almost home!" the ten-year-old announced. She continued to lead, tugging only enough to guide. "Watch out for the log up ahead. We're almost out of the woods."

"All right, Rin." Her mother's voice was smooth, almost regal. She held her head high, and walked with a proud air. If not for the blank look in her eyes, a passerby would never know she was blind. The woman slowed her pace, loosening her grip on her daughter's small hand when her feet hit pavement. "We are on the sidewalk near the school?"

Rin smiled. "Yea. How can you always tell?" She wondered aloud. Her mother had been unable to see since Rin was five – an infection, the girl had learned later on.

"I can hear the wind whistling around the building. And the sound of cars in the distance, meaning we're not too close to the highway. The sidewalk is smoother here, too." Her mother let her head fall slightly, as if she were looking at her daughter.

"Think I'll ever be able to hear that well?" Rin asked, heading toward her home.

"When your dad was still here," Her mother paused; her ex-husband was always a touchy subject. Neither she nor Rin would ever forgive him for leaving them two years ago, forcing them to be supported by a relative. "He would always describe everything to me, as best as he could. Sometimes I appreciated it - I really did – but other times it was tiring. It's different with you… you seem to know just when to inform me of something."

"Thanks, mom." Rin did a cartwheel-somersault sort of move in the grass alongside the sidewalk. The air was warm, but not too humid. "Can you teach me more witch stuff when we get home?"

Her mother sighed. "Not 'witch stuff'. Wicca."

"Well, _Wicca_ stuff then?"

"If you'll pay attention this time, baby."

**:-:**

_Why's so cold?_ Rin wondered. She had never been so cold. She sat in the lumpy hospital chair, feet just touching the floor. The room was nearly empty, save a few others. The windows revealed a black sky, and the blaring TV let her know it was _WAY_ past her bedtime. But that didn't matter now.

The girl ran her hands up and down her arms, trying to smooth out the goose bumps. She tugged the light jacket she wore tighter around herself. The receptionist looked up from her desk. "Are you okay, sweetie?" Her voice was sugary, or maybe even syrupy; the kind of tone that was trying to hide something, or find out about a secret. "I can give ya my coat, I don't need it." She held up what looked to be a navy parka.

"No thank you, ma'am." Rin replied quietly. Her stomach did a flip. "Can I go see my mom now?"

"Sorry, sweetie. Doctor Lee will have a nurse fetch ya-"

Ah, and sometimes fate worked in strange ways. Before the clerk could finish, a door opened to reveal a grim-looking young man. He locked his gaze on Rin. "Follow me," He barked brusquely and turned. Rin slid out of her chair and hurried after him. "Hurry up, girl." She frowned, and sped up her feet-dragging to a noisy shuffle.

He led her down a narrow corridor, closed and open doors spaced out evenly. "Are we going in the elevator? Am I going to see Mom?" Rin asked, watching the man punch the 'up' arrow. The doors slid open, and the two stepped on.

"Yes."

"Is she awake?"

"Yes."

His answers were short. It made her anxious, insides twisting into an impossible knot. They reached the fourth floor, the doors opening with a soft _ding_. Rin let her feet carry her after the man, biting the inside of her cheek.

"Where are we?"

"ICU."

The girl pulled a face. "What's that."

"Intensive care unit."

"…Oh."

The two came to a halt, next to a small white room. The door was sealed tight, but there was a small window high up so someone could see in. The man noticed her distress upon trying to look in, and pulled a nearby chair over. Rin offered a quiet thanks, and stood on top of it.

Her breath caught in her throat, hands tightening into fists. "_Mom_…"

**:-:**

**:----:**

Sesshoumaru tossed the deer carcass aside, disgusted. He fell against a tree and let his eyes slide shut. The tree protected him from the light drizzle. Not that he didn't mind a little water, but he preferred to be dry. Blood dripped forgotten from his slender digits, bland expression in place. It was times like these he was hit with a vague feeling of nostalgia.

_Have I sunk so low?_ He wondered with silent loathing. That human, Rin, peaked his interest. Her scent was amazingly pleasant, seemingly unmarred by the fact of what she _was_. He found it extremely hard to control himself in her presence; fought the urge to go after her even now, clothing splattered with the blood of a slain beast.

It was impossible. A simple human. Had that not been his own father's downfall? Had it not been a human who convinced his father to abandon him? _Humans… disgusting creatures…_

**:-:**

"You… you expect to bring a child into a home with something like, like _that_?" A woman's hushed, yet angry; voice seemed to echo off the quiet walls.

"Izayoi, it is not his fault what he has become-" A stronger tone reasoned.

"He all ready hates me! Surely he will abhor our child even more!"

"He would never hurt-"

"You have seen him when he is... is… _hungry_!"

"Sesshoumaru will learn to control himself! He does not feed on-"

"_Feed on_! You speak as if we are _food_!"

"Please, Izayoi-"

"I'm afraid for the safety of child. I cannot be here if he is. He is old enough to... live on his own."

"Dammit! He's my son, I can't just-"

"Then your almost-to-be-born child and _I_ will leave!"

"No, Izayoi! I… I'll talk to him about it."

**:-:**

His eyes shot open, a low growl escaping his throat. Sesshoumaru pushed off the tree, making his way through the thick trees. How long ago was that? Decades it seemed… the recollection itself was clouded at the edges, but the words were still easily remembered.

The inu youkai moved swiftly, gathering speed. Silver hair blew back from his face, toes just grazing the ground as he pushed off. He only vaguely cared where he was taking himself, the forest a green blur with the occasional sound. Golden depths gazed straight ahead, not daring to look back.

He must never look back.

The ground around him became smoother, the trees thinning out. He stopped, is body missing the onrush of air. Sesshoumaru inwardly frowned, taking in his surroundings. A house almost decrepit in appearance, a rusty pick-up…

So he had brought himself _here_? Rin's scent hung faintly in the air. Not for the first time when concerning the young human woman, he let his curiosity get the better of him and moved towards the house. The rain was barely existent now, but dark clouds still veiled the sky. He really had no idea what he was doing…

**:----:**

Rin groaned, sitting up. Remy was still fiddling with the stove, and it looked like take-out would be in order later on. She moved from the couch to the front door, sliding into a pair of sneakers, she couldn't take being locked inside a moment longer. "I'll be back in time for dinner, I just want to go out for a bit…"

Remy nodded, not taking her eyes from the brewing pot. "Right dear."

Rin smiled, leaving the house. She was surprised the rain had stopped, but the clouds had yet to let the sun peak through. _How I miss the sun._ The woman smiled, moving from the front steps in a dance-like manner and wandering to side of the house. She hadn't really snooped around yet. Which, oddly enough, she had planned on doing first thing. Perhaps the Yellow Room had distracted her.

When she rounded the corner, she nearly jumped out of her skin at the pale figure in the yard. Rin was taken aback, as the figure took on the shape of Sesshoumaru. Her hands flew to her face, eyes widening. Was he… was he stalking her? What a creep. _What the hell is all over his-_

"OH MY GOD! YOU'RE COVERED IN BLOOD!" She screamed, pointing an accusing finger. Suddenly, her knees felt week.

And suddenly, Sesshoumaru wondered what the fates had against him.

**:----:**

**Yay! A horribly sad-attempt at a chapter! -Sobs- I'm such a failure. o.o; Sorry Izayoi came off as sort of a bitch... Anyway, Thanks SO MUCH for the reviews! And sorry this chapter is sort of a cliffie. Heh heh. Next will be better! I PROMISE! –Bows to you all-**

**Q: Longer chapters?**

**A: -Throws tantrum- Give the lazy writer a break. T.T But really… I'll try…**

**Q: YOU'RE WRITING A SESS/INU? WHAT THE F-CKING HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU! Etc, etc. (Flamer e-mail).**

**A: Yes. And a lot is wrong with meh. Deal with it.**

**Q: When will Kagome come back in? (Nice e-mail. –Pets it-)**

**A: Soon, my pet, soon. –Cackles-**

**Q: Faster updates?**

**A: Return to FAQ one. u.u**

**Q: What is glomp?**

**A: A tackle-huggle yo.**

IYGU: Do you want another glomp? –Glomps-

D.C Talk: -Giggles- Sesshoumaru has his sources.

MindIIBody: I'm trying to get the relation going, but meh is lazy. u.u

Imafork01: Eh, thank you. –Glomp-

Ayumi-dwfan: You're too kind! –Sobs- -Glomps double-

Sugarsweet pie: A Goddess? XD Thank you. –Glomps double too-

Hayal Nazim: Hehe, true, true.

RahneSinclairDaCosta: Thank you! And update your story! XD

Innocentlamb: Boo. –Hits with waffle-

Secret Angel Forever21: Aw, zanks! –huggle-

Squishy Penguin: Sesshoumaru is a creep. A sexy creep. XP

Sweet- : Arigatou! I'm trying really hard!

Vimpire-dogdemongirl89: You're so kind. T.T –Glomps triple-

Jackie: I'm just random. X3

DaughtofBastet: You make me feel so luffed. –Huggle glomps… with some cheeze-

**I'm feeling hyper. Heh…**


	5. Chapter 5

**O.O –Faints- -Revived- -Faints- -Revived- O.O I got ten reviews for chapter 4. _TEN_! -Does back flips- -Does front flips- You… you guys are so awesome! I've never loved reviewers so much! T.T -Hugs you all- 54 reviews… I had to do a double take! If there's _ANYTHING_ I can do to show how much a appreciate it, please let me know. –Bows down to you all- I am your most humble servant. (Of course, I am speaking to the people at fan fiction. Mediaminer hates reviewing. But if you've reviewed on there, the above message applies.)**

**Dream is in italics, as well as thoughts.**

**Temptation (The _temptation_ to steal Sesshoumaru's bangs is growing… o.o)**

**Chapter 4: Accusations**

**:----:**

Rin's back slammed into the ground, words cut off by a hand clapped tightly over her mouth. The heavier weight of his body was pressing her into the wet earth. She screamed into his hand, mahogany eyes dilating in fear. He pressed her wrists together, pinning her hands above her head and shifting his weight to keep the young woman from moving her legs to kick him. Her form wriggled beneath him. Silver hair fell to either side as he leaned forward. Golden eyes meeting her smoldering terrorized gaze.

Rin's heart hammered in her chest. She could hear it pounding in her ears as she fought to free herself. The young woman refused to fall still and give into him, no matter how hopeless the situation. Scowling as Sesshoumaru watched her – no doubt preparing to speak – she opened her mouth and bit down hard on one of his fingers. His hand remained in place, though his eyes took on a sudden potent gleam.

How the hell did he move so quickly? What's he going to do to me! Remy please… come outside… 

"Let go," Sesshoumaru said through clenched teeth. Rin bit down harder, and nearly gagged when his coppery blood touched her tongue. Disgusted, she complied. "I will remove my hand if you will remain silent."

She glared at him.

"Nod, or shake your head." He said coolly. "You're not in the position to be defiant."

Reluctantly, the young woman nodded. She tried to ignore the intensity of the stare he was casting on her, and the way silken tendrils of silver grazed her cheeks. Sesshoumaru kept her arms and legs pinned, but lifted the hand covering her mouth. "What the _HELL_ is this about!" Rin demanded the moment she was able. She found her mouth covered once more.

"Was I not clear on my meaning of 'remain silent'?" A rhetorical question. The young woman did not make any move of hearing, but the fire in her glare would have been enough to give any other person chills. But, Sesshoumaru _wasn't_ any other person and he matched it with his own icy gaze. He removed his hand.

"…Tell me what you're doing," she whispered furiously, "And why you're covered in blood."

". . ."

"Will you at least get off- _eep_!" Rin was pulled none-too-gently from the ground, the movement so sudden and unexpected it sent her mind reeling backwards. Sesshoumaru clapped his hand back over her mouth, tugging her firmly against him before disappearing into the sanctity and refuge of the forest. The scent of another human curled in his senses, followed by a middle-aged woman's voice calling out to her adopted daughter.

"_Rin_! Rin… I finished the roast!" The woman called again, a frown marring her features. She didn't look surprised or worried. She looked like someone had just insulted her. Shaking her head, the human disappeared into the nearly decrepit house.

Rin fought his hold. Sesshoumaru let go; ready to grab her the moment she dared try to run off. Though his face remained stoic, he was waging an internal war. Why did this simple girl make him act on impulses he would normally disregard?

Rin staggered to the right, catching her balance by taking hold of a low-hanging branch. She cast a sorry glance at where Remy had stood, before turning her attention back to Sesshoumaru. His face was blank, seemingly unfazed by his actions. "Explain!" Her voice was hushed, jabbing a finger in his direction. Something in the back of her mind told her she should probably be afraid of the unpredictable youkai before her, but it went unheeded.

"…"

"Well?"

He looked away, as if the tree to his left had become more worthy of his attention than she. Rin bit the inside of her cheek. "Hello! Are you just going to ignore me? You bastar-"

She was cut off when his stare returned to her. The cold golden hues seemed glazed, as if he was seeing past her… at something beyond just _her_. A chill ran up her spine. Her voice softened. _How can I forgive him so easily?_

"Will you… at least tell me if you have some mutilated corpse hidden back here?"

Sesshoumaru quirked a slender brow, the faraway look fading from his eyes almost instantly. "I have murdered no one." His tone was bland, almost bored.

"Why'd you kidnap me?"

"You have not been kidnapped."

As if startled by something, a bird sprang from a nearby bush. It beat its wings widely, shooting off a steep incline. It made her jump; dumbfounded for a long moment.

"Well, what's this all about then!" Rin snapped.

"I could not have attention drawn to myself."

"Then you shouldn't walk around covered in _blood_. What is it from, anyway? Is it yours? Are you hurt?"

The inu youkai was silently taken aback by the concern that slipped into her reprimanding voice. He decided not to dwell on it. "I was… hunting." The collected demon felt awkwardly placed, something he held no liking for.

"Hunting?" Rin repeated with a questioning air. She raised her own brow, arms folding neatly across her front. "With _what_? Your _hands_?" The girl immediately regretted asking, a mental image of Sesshoumaru slicing up innocent animals with his claws for some kind of twisted amusement springing up in her mind's eye.

She fiddled with an ebony lock in the long uncomfortable silence that followed. Sesshoumaru had gone back to staring at the tree, pulled from his deep thoughts when he heard her quiet, bubbling laughter. He raised an inquisitive brow.

Rin smiled, stretching her arms above her head. "You're pretty weird, ya know?" She kicked at a dirt clod with the top of her shoe. "You'll do something as unsophisticated as hunting with your hands, and yet act so collected and serious. Almost like contradicting yourself. And don't even use being youkai as an excuse, because I've known a lot of them and none of them acted like you."

"Perhaps I am merely unique?" Sesshoumaru prompted, something different flickering to life in his deadpan eyes.

Rin rolled her own. "You're unique all right."

"Does that bother you, Rin?"

She blinked in surprise when he said her name. "Not at all, _Sesshoumaru_." Rin paused. "You're name's so long compared to mine… maybe I can call you Sesshou… Sesshy…?" She laughed aloud at the last one, stopping quickly when she realized he might take it as an insult.

"I believe," he said flatly, "Sesshoumaru works fine."

"Sorry about that," Rin smiled again. The action lit up her features in a way that caught him off guard. Sesshoumaru felt something minute stir within him, and almost frowned.

The young woman before him was now picking unconsciously at the bark of a tree. She let her head drop so midnight bangs shielded her eyes from his view. "This may seem a little weird for me to ask but," Rin paused, slight regret intertwining with her scent. _She wishes she hadn't began speaking again,_ Sesshoumaru realized.

"Do you think maybe we could… ah… go see a movie or something?" She laughed nervously. "Not that, I like you like that or anything! It's just I really don't have many friends here yet and I-"

"I will consider it," Sesshoumaru interrupted. She looked up at him with a sheepish grin.

"Um… want the house number? So you can call if you decide-"

"I will get a hold of you," He interrupted again. His voice was monotone.

"Okay," The young woman muttered, shifting uncomfortably. Sometimes she wondered if she was right in the head. _Hello, Rin! He just _attacked_ you!_

Rin turned, making her way back as he stared after her. The fact he was not – could not possibly be – hungry dissolved when she was near him. Her scent proved just as puzzling… _Something about that human is off._ He decided, and he was determined to figure out just what it was…

**:----:**

"It's _how_ far?" The hanyou frowned, fiddling with his side view mirror. The passenger door opened, a lithe bodied woman sliding into the seat. She tossed him a smile, stormy blue eyes glittering in the sunlight. He felt his insides jell-O up. "I wouldn't drive so far for anyone else, Kagome."

"I know you wouldn't," She laughed, closing the door. "And Rin will be so glad to see us!"

"Keh…"

"Ano, something wrong Inuyasha?"

He started the car, making a clean turn into the road leading to the interstate. "It's just… the name of the town…"

"Mistveils?" Kagome chirped. She rolled down her window, letting the rush of hair blow the hair back form her face as she buckled her seatbelt.

"It sounds so familiar…"

She shrugged. "You traveled a lot a few years ago. Maybe you drove through it? It's a small town."

The hanyou considered the idea, before casting it out. It was more than just a drive-through. _Mistveils… I think… maybe Mom mentioned it before._ "Maybe," He said as he pressed the gas petal down. The speedometer climbed past 60… 70…

"I wish you wouldn't drive so quickly!" Kagome groaned, clutching the door.

He grinned. "Get used to it. We'll be together for a long time."

She laughed and spoke with a playful tone, "You just hope I'll stick around with you for so long."

"You'd better," He shot back, "that ring wasn't cheap." Kagome pulled a face, and turned to look out her window at the quickly passing landscapes.

**:----:**

Rin placed her dish in the sink, careful not to make too much noise when it slid against the other glass china. Remy had all ready gone to her bedroom for the night, leaving Rin alone and awake. The young woman sighed softly. She moved quickly up the creaking steps to The Yellow Room.

_I practically asked him out!_ Her mind screamed. _What in the world possessed me to do something like that?_ She changed into her pajamas, and fell into her pillow. Rin pulled the cover over herself, and fell asleep listening to the light rain bouncing off the roof. _Sesshoumaru is a youkai… and a very peculiar one too…_ She willed herself to sleep.

_Her breathing was labored. She pushed against the clinging vines and raced on. The thorns cut at her skin, ripping small cuts in the soft flesh of her hands, legs, and face. Warm blood trickling unclotted. It was amazing how dark it was. Not even a star to light her way. Rin kept on._

_He was closing in. She could almost feel his sick amusement watching her flee, knowing there was no hope. Her foot caught a lose root and she stumbled forward. He grabbed her arm and jerked her upright, hands sliding up to her neck where they encircled it. Rin screamed. The sound echoed, but no one came._

_His grip tightened. Blue and block dots dancing in front of her eyes. She gagged, her own hands reaching up in a sad attempt to pry his off. And then the hands fell away from her neck, and were replaced by something else. Something warm and wet. His tongue! She realized with disgust, yet was unable to pull away._

_Something sharp pricked her skin, drawing a single bead of blood. As if a new will had manifested itself within her, she moved away. Pain lanced through her legs, and suddenly there was a dim light that allowed her to see. Turning to look upon her attacker, she froze._

_There was no one, but on the ground lay twelve white lilies…_

She shot up out of bed. Cold beads of sweat clinging to her forehead. Rin bit the inside of her cheek, heart still racing. Twelve lilies. Twelve white lilies. Her breath hitched in her throat. The symbol in the dream had been clear, but could she trust it? She found herself gripping her sheets tightly in fear.

_Twelve white lilies._

_Twelve days until she died._

**:----:**

**Notes: Sorry, no time for author notes! I have to go. GAH! I'll add some later, jaa. AND REVIEW! **


	6. Chapter 6

**I'm so lazy, so very lazy. Can you ever forgive me? I doubt anyone's even hanging around to read this stupid thing anymore… but I _had_ to update! Do you want to know why? I'll tell you why…! -Drum roll- 16 reviews on the last chapter! _SIXTEEN!_ _WOW! _You people rock! -Glomps- if you want to request any one-shots or something, I'm down with that! I'll do my best on them. I just… wish I could repay you somehow. Kagome2004 asked for a fast update, and I screwed her over. I'm so sorry about that. T-T**

**Temptation (The _temptation_ to make pie is on fire! -_Scotty's on fire_- )**

**Chapter 6: Partners**

**:----:**

"Did you _see_ Kohaku today?" A voice squealed next to her ear. "He looks like a… a…"

"A Greek god?" Rin offered, lightly rolling her eyes before turning her smile back to her blonde friend who was now nodding excitedly. The young woman looked down at her lunch tray, idly poking at a mound of potatoes with her fork. The dull – yet quite loud – backdrop of rising voices made it nearly impossible to focus on one thing for too long. Rin looked up as another girl joined their table.

"Hey Brittany, new girl," She greeted them offhandedly.

Rin flashed a small smile before letting her gaze wander the large cafeteria. "Where's Sesshoumaru?" She voiced her thoughts, ignoring the wide-eyed stares she was now receiving.

"Who cares?" Brittany shrugged, flicking a gummy bear across the table.

The other girl shifted uncomfortably. "Are you interested in him, or something? Let me tell you, he's _bad_ news. I dated him, _I_ know."

Rin wasn't sure what surprised her more. That this black-haired junior had gone out with Sesshoumaru, or the small jealous flame that flickered to life within her. "You and-"

"Yep!" The girl chirped.

Brittany flicked a lock of hair over her shoulder. "Don't say it like it's something to brag about, Kaori. He broke up with you after _one_ day."

"I broke up with him!"

"You did not!"

"Wait!" Rin interrupted impatiently. "What did he do to make you not... like him?"

Kaori pulled a face. "He wouldn't give me his _phone number_, he wouldn't _talk_ to me, he wouldn't even _listen_ when I tried to ask him about going on a real date!" At this, Rin nearly smiled smugly, but caught herself. "And he wouldn't eat lunch with me and my friends! What a jackass. Sure, he's _hot_ – if you're into demons and whatnot – but he's in sore need of a new personality."

"I don't like him _at all_. He creeps me out," Brittany muttered.

"He's not that bad…" Rin reasoned quietly. She pursed her lips, only vaguely listening as the two others continued their conversation; which eventually led to them discussing the best type of shampoo and how often to blow-dry your hair. It began to dawn on her she might just need to look into getting friends more fit to her own character. The simple fact Sesshoumaru – outside Kagome – was the closest thing she had to a friend wasn't all that comforting.

A finger jabbed at her side, snapping her out of her short reverie. "They just called you to the office, Rin." Brittany pushed her lunch tray aside. "Want me to go with you?"

"I'll be fine," Rin assured her, wondering why she was needed. _Guess I'll just go find out._

The office was a small room with white walls covered in a various plaques and awards, a thin blue carpet thrown over the floor. There was a nice sized tank of some sort of blue fish against one wall along with a few cushioned chairs, and the main desk straight ahead. A door in the back led to the nurse's office.

The old woman at the desk smiled. "Rin Hatari, I presume?" Her wizened voice had an unusual, comforting gust to it, and the young woman nodded quickly.

"That's me…"

"Yes, yes," The receptionist rummaged through a stack of papers on her desk, looking for something. "Have you made many friends yet?"

"Yea," Rin lied, leaning against the desk.

"How is the school?"

"It's… easy to get used to."

The old woman found what she was looking for, a slightly wrinkled, pink slip of paper. "Here it is!" She announced. "Now, Miss Hatari, it says here you've all ready taken English at your other school?"

Rin nodded reluctantly.

"Ah, thought so. I've gone through and found a class to put you in; that you haven't taken yet, I hope. Chemistry Honors."

"That's… nice."

"Isn't it? And you can start tomorrow, last period of the day," the old woman handed her the new schedule, "just go there instead of English. I'm sure one of your friends can help you find it."

"Thanks," Rin nodded lightly, before turning to head down an empty locker-lined hall. _Great, mixing dangerous chemicals, what more could a klutz want?_ She had to hand it to the Wombats, she really hadn't expected them to catch their mistake; at least not until it was time to hand out credits.

Chemistry turned out to not be as bad as she thought. The room was set up slightly different than the others. There were two columns, with six tables and space for two at each. The class was full, save the last desk in the last column. _How convenient_. All eyes on her, Rin slipped through the center aisle and took her seat silently. No more questions were asked, but she could feel quite a few pairs of eyes on her. _At least I don't have a partner._

**:----:**

The young woman all but collapsed on her bed, burying her head in her pillow. It was Thursday. Only _Thursday_. She didn't think time _could_ move any slower. And what really bothered her wasn't that Father Time had fallen asleep on the job, it was how wordlessly upset she was that she hadn't seen or heard from Sesshoumaru in so long.

Maybe… maybe he had just gotten tired of her? Everything she'd heard about him was that he was a dangerous, untouchable, ever-quiet youkai. He slipped like a ghost through her thoughts, weaving himself into _everything_, so that everything she did reminded her of _him_. And that really made no sense at all, because Rin didn't care _that_ much about him… did she?

It's not like she'd known him all that long, either. It was verging on… obsession? Maybe the always raining, predictable Mistveils was just finally wearing off on her. Soon she'd be gossiping like Brittany and the other girls without any worries or care outside what to wear to the next dance.

"Rin?" Remy's voice made her jump. "That woman, Kagome, just called. She says she'll be here Saturday to check on you."

Rin brightened up quickly. "I forgot she'd be coming! How long will she stay?"

"I'm sorry, honey, I don't know…"

**:----:**

She poked at the glass vial of clear liquid, writing down some odd-end notes about its texture after setting it on the Bunsen burner. It was beginning to bubble, but after ten minutes of "careful" observation it was all she could conclude. Around her, the other students were having more entertaining results. Most had correctly managed to turn theirs into a boiling blue substance.

The teacher, a thin man with salt and pepper receding hair, was writing away at something on his desk. When the class room door opened, he looked up in a hurry. "Finally decided to join us, Sesshoumaru?" Rin froze, eyes burning holes into the inu youkai's. "Have a seat."

_Have a seat? Where will he…?_ She paled, watching him glide in that unhuman way down the aisle towards her. He lowered himself elegantly beside her, flashing her only an impassive glance. The teacher went back to his writing. Rin tried to relax. "You're… in this class?" she whispered softly.

He ignored her, instead choosing to study the vial. Picking up a thin glass rod, he dipped it in a red powder before stirring the clear liquid twice. It began to take on a green hue, simmering.

Rin shifted on her stool, not paying attention to his actions. "Sesshoumaru?" She questioned a bit louder.

He shrugged lightly, not turning his gaze to her. "Hn."

"Where have you been?"

The demon finished stirring, and turned off the heat. Blue, thick goo boiling in the glass vial now, he placed the thin rod on a paper towel mutely. Rin's warm fingertips gently touched his arm, and he stiffened, moving it away from her. "Why are you being so indifferent?" She asked softly.

Sesshoumaru refused to look at her. Refused to look at the confusing human girl who'd managed to wedge herself into his thoughts so easily, to dictate his actions without knowing she did. That day in the woods still stood fresh in his mind, bothering and annoying him; yet something in him foolishly clung to it and kept it alive.

Her slender frame wriggling beneath his weight, her warm skin against his; it was dangerous. He should not – _could not_ – think this way. Now when she sat beside him, whispering his name so innocently, he'd never wanted her so much. Nothing had ever managed to frighten him this way, scared by what he could do to her. She was so human, and so _weak_…

Her blood flowed so closely to the surface of her smooth skin. One little scratch, one small bite and she could be _his_. He could have all of her before she had a chance to utter even the beginnings of a scream. _To taste her_ before she could be robbed from him. She was such a _risk_…

The bell rang, breaking his line of thought. He didn't move. Sesshoumaru didn't dare move. It was a mistake to try and come back; somehow Rin had managed to slide closer. Why didn't she leave? Didn't she know how easily it would be for him to kill her? Why was she still _sitting_ there?

This was insanity…

"Sesshoumaru, can we talk for awhile?" Rin asked hesitantly. She'd finished putting away the chemistry supplies and he was still there, unmoving. Their instructor had left the room along with the flood of students eager to go home, not bothering to notice the two he was leaving alone. "I… um… Well I-"

"We need to talk," He announced suddenly, his voice strangely ragged.

Rin blinked. "Is there something-"

"Leave."

"What?"

"_Go_," he said harshly.

The young woman jumped, a frown marring her pleasant features. "Oh, okay…" She grabbed her textbook and hurried from the room, biting the inside of her cheek.

Sesshoumaru closed his eyes. He wasn't used to acting so out of character. To… to _feeling_ so out of character. He needed to get away from Rin. She was dangerous. No, _he_ was dangerous.

**:----:**

**NOTES: I'm sorry this all seems so out of character. And don't worry! They aren't falling in love all the sudden! And don't misinterpret Sesshoumaru's wanting so much. I mean, it's complicated. Heh heh. Sorry the chapter is so crazily short. And stupid. Stupid and short. Well… I tried. It was forced, because I wasn't really inspired to update, but I needed to update! I'll try to kick the next chapter out quickly. And oh yea, I couldn't remember if I'd given Rin a last name or not so… yea.**

**THANKS SO MUCH FOR ALL THE REVIEWS! I love you guys. n.n You are my homies! XD**

**Q: Is Inu-papa a vampire?**

**A: You'll find out all things concerning Sesshoumaru's past, eventually!**

**Q: Why'd you make Rin's mom blind?**

**A: Because I thought it'd be interesting. Heh heh.**

**Q: Will Rin be turned into a vampire in 12 days?**

**A: Everyone sure seems to think that's what's going to happen. **

**I haven't gone through and edited this, so there are probably a few typos and mistakes. Sorry. :D**


	7. Chapter 7

**You're all so wonderful. –Glomps- I tried to get this chapter out quickly. The last update was so slow. XD**

**I'd like to dedicate this chapter to my best friends Haley and Brittany. (The character in this ficcy named Brittany is based off my actual friend. Heh heh. Not that the real Brittany acts that way at all… All well!) And also, Vimpire-dogdemongirl89 and Sugarsweet pie!**

**Temptation (I don't know the meaning of word _temptation_! O.o )**

**Chapter 7: Surrender**

**:----:**

He tapped his fingers on the steering wheel, eyes narrowed slightly in thought. With a small sigh, he shrugged. "Raizel? Rachael? Rebecca…?"

Kagome frowned, rolling her eyes. "_Inuyasha_," she wined, "You honestly don't know my mom's middle name?"

"She ain't my mother."

"It's Kiyoko. Now," She shifted in her seat, "your turn to ask."

"What's my old man's _first_ name?"

Kagome groaned. "It's late, let's stop at a hotel?"

**:----:**

Sesshoumaru ran a clawed hand through his hair. The rain fell like mist, clouds veiling the moon in an empty shadow. The colossal oak to his back shuddered against an unusually strong gust. He had hoped a quick run would clear his… his _thoughts_, yet the elements seemed just as dissatisfied and perplexed. The youkai began moving again, the mist turning into a hammering torrent.

It wasn't normal for him to bother so much; for anything – any_one_- to cause him such discontent. Sesshoumaru moved against the wind, fighting against its driving force with ease. The forest around him was in chaos, the leaves catching the wind like parachutes, downing large limbs and branches. He narrowed his eyes, deftly evading a falling tree trunk. The foliage around him was thinning, opening up into a small clearing.

The inu youkai's lips curved up in a sardonic smile. To think how _blind_ he was. Again he had unconsciously found her scent and followed it. The storm raged around him, tugging, and pulling, and _pushing_. And Sesshoumaru took an almost cautious step forward. The unpleasant whir filling his senses faded away into a dull hum.

It was amazing how that old house stood so firmly rooted. How it turned out second story wasn't so high up after all. And how she left her bedroom window unlocked while she slept. _Simply amazing_, his mind whispered.

Or perhaps just very convenient.

**:----:**

Sometimes… sometimes a person only had to _feel_ to know not all was right.

As Rin sat up in bed, she couldn't help but agree. Her feet hit the cool wooden floor and she stood stiffly. The nightmare still hung fresh in mind, mocking her in its own silent way. It was always the same. Her only comfort was… was that there were _still_ twelve lilies. However, this discomforted her as well. _What could it mean?_

She walked quietly to the window, the tips of her fingers grazing the sill while she frowned. It was wet. Was there an open crack? _No rain's ever gotten in before…_ Rin bit the inside of her cheek, staring at the bleak outside where an unusually violent storm was beginning to blow itself out. It was dark, and she squinted to see her hand in front of her face.

"Stupid window," The young woman muttered under her breath. She turned, moving to fumble along a wall for the light switch. When she felt nothing, she began to search more frantically. _It's too _dark_ in here._

Rin's arms fell limp at her sides. She could almost feel another presence; hear another heart beating with her own. It was that sixth sense kicking in, and she knew someone was watching her. Analyzing her every move, _every breath_.

_Now I'm just being paranoid_, she thought uneasily. _No one's… in here with me._

She stepped towards her bed, deciding she just needed to go back to sleep. No doubt that dream and the storm just had her on edge. She slipped under her sheets and pulled the pillow over her head. The spastic lightening really wouldn't help her snooze anymore than a blaring television.

Sesshoumaru pressed himself further into the corner, wondering just how he had wound up _here_.

_Here _as she turned innocently in her sleep, cover slipping away to reveal her bare shoulder. _Here_ as he found himself stepping silently nearer. _Here_ as he hovered above her, battling his instincts. _Here_ as he leaned thoughtlessly closer. _Here_ as his lips grazed the soft flesh of her nape.

And Rin mumbled, brushing a lock of hair out of her face as she twisted her head around and opened her eyes. Her breath caught in her throat.

Maybe it was because Sesshoumaru was in her room. Because he was leaning so close to her. Or… or maybe it was the way his eyes were glazed over in raw _need_ that made her scream. And in that hazed, chaotic moment she wasn't sure who was more surprised when a clap of thunder drowned out her shriek. When he cupped a hand over her mouth, wrapped arm around her waist, and they melted into the storm itself.

To be honest, she really didn't _care_.

**:----:**

Everything was always hectic and unexpected in the beginning of a horror movie. It drew the audience in, kept their eyes glued to the screen. And then, at some point, everything fell into place and became crystal clear. They would either survive, or they would die. That was usually, really all there was to it.

And Rin found that scenario fit well with her current situation. She'd been given a new life, and met a mysterious guy who constantly managed to somehow surprise her. Things had gone _okay_. Now… now was when it all fell into place. He _wasn't_ mysterious. He was _dangerous_. He _wasn't_ full of surprises. He was _insane_. Huddled against an empty wall of what her overwhelmed mind managed to assume was his home, Rin knew this was the part where he would make her regret her mistakes. She closed her eyes.

Sesshoumaru was pacing; a rare act that was reserved for those few and far between moments when he was truly at ends. The scent of her fear, _fear of him_, swelled in his senses, making him growl as his mind raced with all the things he could do to _add_ to that intense fear. The other part of him scowling in disgust at his loss of control, _of logic_.

The youkai stilled, focusing on her quivering form. Rin was wet, _soaked_ from his wild dash through the rain. He extended a hand, not quite sure what he planned to do. With a choked sob the girl jerked away from him. He frowned. She was afraid of him; afraid of what he would – _what he could_ - do to her. And somewhere in the far reaches of his mind, he was afraid too.

"I won't," he paused, the words feeling dead on his tongue. He had to wonder just how empty they would sound to her. "I will not harm you."

And then Rin opened her eyes, and Sesshoumaru felt like someone had knocked the wind out of him.

"Rin, I-"

"Just stop," She sobbed. Her small frame convulsed in a violent shudder. He pulled away, the sound of her racing pulse only beckoning him closer. Sesshoumaru closed his own eyes, folding himself uneasily on the floor.

It was strange, how unusual things were now. He could vaguely remember a time when this would have all gone so _differently_; a time when he didn't care about anything – _anyone_ – and acted just so. No one was allowed to get close enough to annoy him, to bother him like _she_ did. Like she _was_. No one had made him question himself or his actions, to double guess his motives.

But it was this foreign, traitorous thought – this _feeling_ – that she, that _Rin_, was more than no one. That maybe, just maybe, what she felt, and wanted, and _thought,_ meant something to him. And he had tried to figure it out – figure out what that something _was_ – and he just _couldn't_. And Sesshoumaru hated it when he _couldn't_.

Rin was watching him, watching him with his face in his hand and fingers tangled in the hair that hung before his eyes. She wanted to get up – _to run_ – but instead she found herself curling into even more of a hopeless, dripping heap. Burying her head into her knees and trying to stifle another empty sob. She should have listened to them; they had tried to _warn_ her.

"_We all really wish he'd just go. No one trusts him. No one."_

Rin curled her shaking hands into tight fists, biting her lower lip.

"_Didn't you just talk to him? He's like a _murderer_, waiting to happen!"_

She shuddered again, the warm sensation of blood from her lip spreading through her mouth. She shakily pressed a sleeve to it.

"_Are you interested in him, or something? Let me tell you, he's _bad_ news. I dated him, _I _know."_

She pressed herself harder against the wall, desperately willing it to open up and engulf her, to save her from _him_.

And when he spoke again, she didn't dare look up.

"It is hard, to be near you," Sesshoumaru said quietly. The way he spoke, she had to wonder if he was talking to _her_ - or himself.

"Controlled. I am always controlled," He pulled his hand away from his face and let it hang loosely over his bent leg. "Still, it's never safe. I discovered this a long time ago, when I was still… learning.

"They gave up when they realized. I gave them no reason to distrust me, yet they treated me as if I'd attack them the moment their back was turned."

Rin opened her eyes, but still kept her head down. She had never heard him speak more than three sentences before.

"I was left alone, and decided it was better that way. Years passed, and the humans became too curious. There are those out there who would hunt me. I do not doubt my abilities, but I have seen them work. I enrolled at the human's school; I tried to give them no one reason to wonder.

"Their curiosity dissolved quickly, and they avoided me. I was surprised how they obeyed their instincts without knowing they had any." Sesshoumaru fell silent for a long moment, staring dully ahead. "That is where you, Rin, destroyed everything."

She trembled at his hollow tone.

"You should have just been another foolish human. You were not. You seemed to go out of your way to find me, to draw me closer than anyone had bothered to for years. I began to make mistakes."

Sesshoumaru shifted, and she flinched. His voice became low, a quiet whisper. As if saying it aloud would only confirm what he didn't want to believe. "I _need_ you." He turned to look at her, reaching out to trail his fingers along her cheek.

Rin jerked away. "Don't _touch_ me," she spat. She hated him, she had to hate him. _She had too_.

He smirked, making her shiver. "Perhaps I shouldn't. I could take everything from you," he mused darkly. "_Everything_."

The youkai stood, towering over her like a predator allowing its prey one last moment of pure _terror_. "I could break you so easily. I have to remember… remember to be _gentle_."

Rin wanted to scream. This was the last thing she would see. The _last_ memory that would flash before her eyes as she drew her _last _breath-

"I could forget one day. I could forget, and I could kill you." He knelt slowly, as if in exhaustion. "_I do not want to forget_."

She felt something swell in her chest, tighten and push at her throat. Her vision was fogged, blurred at the edges and mind bleak. She knew she shouldn't be doing this, reaching out so timidly and _weakly_ to touch his face. But she did, and she reveled at how cool his skin was beneath her hands. At the pain and confusion in his eyes when she swayed. At the way he felt so _numb_ when she hit the floor.

And Rin didn't feel him pick her up, and carry her to his bed. Didn't feel him lay her gingerly beneath the worn cover. Didn't feel the way his hand lingered on hers before he left. And she didn't feel the way something twisted in his chest and caused him to look back.

**:----:**

**NOTES: I'm sorry this is shorter, but it's uh… quality not quantity! -Makes excuses- And as for where Jaken went, he's at the market getting food! Or something! Anyway, THANK YOU FOR ALL THE REVIEWS! 93! ZOMG! –Dances-**

**_AND THANK YOU BRITTANY_!**

**I command all SessKag people to check her out. Just look up MyLamb.**

**Q: So, Rin won't become a vampire?**

**A: I didn't say that! I just never said she would.**

**Q: Update faster?**

**A: n.n Was this fast enough? -Flops over-**


	8. Chapter 8

ZOMG! THANKS SO MUCH FOR ALL THE REVIEWS! –Dies happy- Be warned, I listened to "Riding Dirty" and "Promiscuous Girl" while writing this. XD Not exactly writing-mood music, ya know? 

**Temptation (The _temptation_ to kill Kohaku has never been so strong…)**

Chapter 8: Arrivals 

**:----:**

_The sky is desolate. So bleak and empty she could swear it was almost… _dead_. Fingers dig into the bark of a tree, grabbing and pulling, Rin heaves herself up. The branches sway, sharp leaves scratch her skin. Her hand reaches, searching in the dark for a sturdy limb. _Please, before he comes…

Cold flesh brushes her exposed legs. Her eyes close. She numbs at his touch, falls in a heap at his feet. A clawed finger runs over her bottom lip, draws a thin trail of blood. She moans, and tries to push away. He presses something into her palm, and fades into the dead sky. She feels the smooth petals, and sees through the shadows.

Eleven white lilies…

Rin awoke with a start. She lay still, dazed and breathing haphazardly. The gray light of a Mistveil's dawn spilled in from her open window, washed over the pale figure watching her so intently. Her hands shook, voice trembled in a quiet, desperate plea. "Sesshoumaru…"

Surrounded by the vibrant, bold yellow walls, the silent youkai seemed out of place. His head nearly brushed the ceiling, ocher eyes smoldering with dying flame. In her sleep-riddled mind, she decided he was almost perfect. Like a viper, he danced with his prey, captivated it with the unknown. Drew them only close enough to strike, and no closer. Never, never closer…

The moment she breathed his name in that lifeless whisper, he was gone. Slipping from her room so quickly Rin wasn't sure if she had seen him at all. She fell back on her bed like stone; aching body reminding her the night had been real.

**:----:**

Jaken jumped, hands flying to the small hat atop his head. Glass shattered, covering his recently waxed floor with thousands of dangerous shards. The sliding door was ruined! Again, he added with quick bitterness. Yellow eyes watched their master closely as he stalked through the room with no heed to the mess he'd just made. "Sess- Sesshoumaru-sama…" The imp squeaked, temporarily halting in his rush for a broom. "Are you all right?"

The demon didn't stop. He turned around, moving again for the door. He didn't need locked up right now, he needed out.

I'm hungry, Sesshoumaru realized in disgust.

Jaken ducked out of the way. "This J-Jaken saw the n-news this morning. Has Sesshoumaru-sa… sama decided to feed on humans now?"

The demon froze, letting his burning gaze fall on the miniscule imp.

"A w-woman was found d-dead…"

"You would likely assume I caused such a common occurrence?"

Jaken took a step back, shaking his head reverently. "Of course n-not. It's just she was f-found with two puncture holes in her n-neck…"

Sesshoumaru looked away, letting his eyes close. I did not…He snapped at himself. This Sesshoumaru committed no such act. Pressing his back to the wall, he tried to ignore the ready doubt wheedling its way into his thoughts.

The toad let his shoulders drop, hurrying to sweep. He heaved the broom – twice his size – across the floor. "This Jaken saw a human sleeping in Sesshoumaru-sama's bed," he said quietly, to no one in particular. Or perhaps only to himself. "Thought it'd be at least a youkai, never a human…"

The demon tapped claws against the wall irritably, features bland. "What did I do with this human, Jaken?"

The imp's green skin became the most unusual shade of cherry. "T-That would be something f-for only Sesshoumaru-sama to know!" He squawked hastily. "F-forgive this Jaken for his thoughtless comments!"

"Thoughtless indeed," The demon growled.

**:----:**

"This is the place!" Kagome whooped, jumping about impatiently in her seat.

Inuyasha raised a brow, eyeing the old home with vague disapproval. No doubt the falling rain wasn't doing anything to make it more appealing. "You said that about the last two houses. Are you _sure_ this one's it?"

His fiancé cocked her head to the side, fiddling with the door handle. "Positive," she chirped after a short pause. "Enough stalling! I want to see Rin-chan _now_!"

"Keh…" The hanyou followed his bouncing woman up the porch steps. She knocked twice on the door before straightening up in a more professional manner. He had to silently note her eager smile kind of threw off the attempt. "I don't like this place."

"It's just an old home." The corners of Kagome's lips inched up closer to her ears. "Full of memories from days gone by!"

He frowned, eyeing her suspiciously. "Are you _on_ something?"

"Just a bit giddy."

"A bit?"

"Don't be such a pill, Inuyasha."

**:----:**

Remy wasn't humming. Not a good sign, Rin knew from experience. The woman was pacing before a sofa in the living room. "Something wrong?" She asked, making a small hop off the bottom step.

"I think I just heard a knock," Remy answered halfhearted.

"Want me to answer it?" Rin offered.

Her guardian shook her head, almost sprinting to the door. "No, no, dear! I'll get it! It's the people coming to check on you!"

And sure enough, the door swung open to reveal a raven-haired woman and her less than enthusiastic fiancé sulking behind her. "**_Rin-chaa_aaaa_an_**!" Kagome squealed, launching herself through the air. Remy jumped back in a surprise. Inuyasha groaned and slapped a hand to his face. Rin fell to the floor under the weight of her friend. "It's been so long!" She cried.

"It's great to see you again, Kagome."

Remy cleared her throat. "Shall we go to the kitchen for some lunch?"

"Sounds good to me," Inuyasha muttered. He watched Rin closely as she stood and moved to help prepare their food. Something about her... _scent_ was familiar. The fleeting sense of déjà vu made him stall in the doorway. He felt a light touch on his shoulder, shattering his reverie.

"You coming?" Kagome questioned softly. He nodded dumbly, and followed her, sitting down uncomfortably in a chair at the end of the table. Rin placed a jar of mayonnaise in the center before taking her seat across from him. Remy joined soon after – choosing to sit next to her adopted daughter – and setting a plate of sandwiches beside the jar.

"Thank you," Kagome smiled. She nudged Inuyasha with her foot beneath the table.

"Thanks," he barked.

The older woman waved her hand in the air. "No problem at all, honey."

The raven-haired girl nodded, shifting in her seat. She focused her attention on her friend. "So Rin, how are you doing here?" Remy fiddled nervously with the hem of her sleeve.

Rin perked up, making sure her voice would sound just cheery enough without over-doing it. "It's great! You should see my room. I have so much _space_." She pulled on a lock of loose hair. "And Remy has been more than kind."

"Oh!" Remy blushed.

The conversation changed subjects quickly, Inuyasha observed. He also noticed how fake Rin's smile was. _Is she not happy here, then?_ He wondered. The topic jumped to some television series he'd never bothered to watch – and apparently, Rin never had either.

The girl stood, and smiled politely. "May I be excused for a moment? I need to… check on something in my room."

"Of course, dear," Remy answered quickly. She turned back to Kagome. "So, I was reading the paper earlier and this poor girl's been murdered-" The hanyou drowned out their voices, ears flattening a bit over his head. He watched the discontented girl disappear up a flight of steps.

"I'm gonna go use the restroom…" Inuyasha mumbled. Not like those two was paying attention to him, anyway. He moved quietly up the stairs, cringing every time they creaked and glancing back to make sure Remy and Kagome were still deep in some wild conversation.

He followed Rin's scent to what he presumed to be her room. Holding his breath, Inuyasha stood outside the door – which had been left slightly ajar. The way things could be so convenient at times. His ears flicked towards her whispering voice, fingers twitching in slight guilt.

"So confusing…" Rin breathed. The hanyou strained to see through the small crack. _She's… in her closet?_ He could hear the usual sounds of rummaging, and see her knees on the floor. "Looks almost like him… Ah, here." The door flung open, Inuyasha jumped back in a stupor. "You little peeping tom! Trying to catch me changing clothes?" She hissed.

"N- no!" Inuyasha threw his hands up. As Rin stepped in front of him, he backed into the room more. _This scent is so… whose _is_ it?_

"Kagome deserves better than you. At least someone who can _spy_ correctly."

"I wasn't!" He interjected.

The young woman scowled, brown eyes narrowing. "What are you… sniffing at?"

Inuyasha growled, brushing past her in a short run to the windowsill. He pressed his nose to the wood, and inhaled. Rin gawked at him. "This is…" he spun on his heel, glaring as if she'd done something wrong. "This is Sesshoumaru's scent!"

**(A/n: I was going to end it here, but you guys definitely deserve more. Sorry for bad quality! D: )**

Rin took a step back, hands trembling. "You... you know Sesshoumaru," she whispered. "You have the same _eyes_…"

The hanyou knocked a fist lightly into her bedpost. "_Know_ that bastard?" He bit out darkly. "Sesshoumaru is my half-brother."

"_What!_" She shrieked.

Inuyasha's cold gaze never strayed from her. He stepped forward and grabbed her wrists, tips of his claws digging into her skin. He inhaled her scent again. "He's touched you. He's… he's been all _over_ you." The hanyou threw her hands away, snarled in disgust. "What the hell is _wrong_ with you? Don't you know what he _is_? What he'll _do_ to you?"

Rin's eyes widened, wincing at the sharp pain. She took a step back, stumbling over a stray candle from the closet. "No! No, no, _no_!" The young woman sobbed. "Sesshoumaru, he wouldn't-"

He would, he would, _he would_… Her mind whirled. Fear pulled her into its cold embrace, winding and warping and _suffocating_. She pushed him away, heart thrumming wildly in her chest. "Stop!"

He stilled, listening closely to make sure no one was coming up the stairs. "Rin, you need to calm down," Inuyasha said quietly, "You're just wound up and we need to talk-" He opened the window a bit, nervously fiddling with a loose splinter of wood.

"_No_!" She snapped, "How do I know you're not lying!"

"You don't," he answered. "But I've _seen_ what he can do."

The young woman fell with a soft _plop_ on to her bed. She breathed slowly, counting to ten. "I'm sorry," she whispered, "last night I-" Rin stopped, closing her eyes. _Sesshoumaru hadn't hurt me_, she thought, _Why did he… _"It's just. I don't see how he has a half-_brother_, and that it's _you_, and… and…"

"I know it's hard to believe, but I can prove it."

"No… I believe you," She sighed shakily. "What is it that's so-"

Inuyasha's ears twitched. "Quiet." He knelt, staring out the window with a confused frown.

The edge of the forest concealed its secrets carefully, only revealing what wished to be. Holding and hiding from the world the things humans and youkai would only take for granted. And standing in the shadow of those coveted secrets was a statue of _ice_.

"Sesshoumaru…"

**:----:**

**NOTES: D: I'm so sorry. This isn't much of an update at all. Many silly mistakes and overall bad flow. But you've all waited so patiently for a review and with school beginning in two days I really had to _try_. Also, I realized the last chapter was kind of a muddled mess. Sorry again! I was tinkering with my style. If you liked that way more, please let me know. **

**Also, check my profile for a link to a brand new, super-savvy SessRin site brought to you by Tomoe and Jade. (I'm sure some of you know whom they are. :3 )**

**Q: Does Rin know he's a vampire?**

**A: Not yet. No worries, I won't drag that out much longer.**

**Q: Why are they instantly in love?**

**A: No, no, no! They're still developing feelings. But Sesshoumaru, you see is a demon! Whereas humans run on emotions, youkai do so with instinct. The fact he's a vampire really increases this, ya know? He wants her in that sense. Don't worry; this won't be some mindless sex fic. O.o; (Though I think some of you might actually want that… .. )**

**Q: Faster updates, PLEASE!**

**A: I'm trying. Dx**

**CoughMakefanarts!Cough xD I'm actually trying to draw one for this, myself. Wee, -flail-.**

**Please note the ever awesome MyLamb hasn't really beta-ed this for me yet, so yea… n.n; Im just impatient and posted it anyway.**


	9. Chapter 9

**-Hugs all tight- Please read the over-long author notes at the end of this. xD**

**Temptation (The _temptation_ to read the latest manga chapter is killing me!)**

**Chapter 9: Naked **

**:----:**

"Selina Valentine was found dead late last night at her home five miles outside Mistveils. A sophomore at the local highschool, her teachers referred to her as 'a very bright' – and according to her science teacher, Mr. S. Sanders – 'very _developed_' young woman." The reporter's voice was livid, hands making furious motions as she spoke. Any stranger to the normally dull area might think a nuclear bomb had just been dropped on NYC.

The television blurped, screen fading in and out from the roaring white noise. Remy fiddled with the antenna, muttering apologies to her guest. "I don't often use this old thing…"

"It's all right," Kagome assured her. Ancient as the set may be, the volume made her cringe. _What are you up to in that _bathroom_, Inuyasha?_ She wondered wryly.

"It really is awful," the older woman exhausted. She settled back on the sofa, letting the television howl away. "Some sick kid stabbed her in the neck with a meat fork." Remy shuddered, staring down at her feet.

Kagome closed her eyes. "What is _wrong_ with people nowadays…"

"Probably got the idea from some new XCube game," the woman muttered darkly.

**:----:**

Grey skies whispered with curling smoke of a fading flame, swept the land in warm gusts. Burning and clawing, it swelled within. The smell of fear enticed him; and he breathed an empty plea. He controlled the dark needs that pushed him forward and ruled his mind. A form nature should have never been forced to burden. And so he _was_ the shadows, moved with that forbidden ghostly grace.

_How is it possible the half-breed is here?_ His mind murmured, the hanyou's scent brushing his mentality like ruffling the pages of a forgotten book. The memories folded and discarded were forthcoming. Sesshoumaru abandoned them, sweeping across the sad patch of yard. Crimson began to pool, clouded his sight in the most dangerous way. The building heat searched for escape.

Inuyasha bit out a curse, all ready climbing to the outer sill of the window. "Stay here, Rin," he growled, bending his knees to jump. Her protests were ignored, and he leapt to the ground to meet his brother.

Sesshoumaru was different, he discerned. The angry demon he had known was gone, hidden beneath years of solitude. Once molten amber had faded to a cold, dull gold. The same eyes that studied the hanyou's form now with plain disgust.

"Robbing the cradle with this one, aren't you?" Inuyasha growled.

The inu youkai drew to a stop. He was silent at first; contemplating the unexpected situation he had just stepped into. And then something flickered to life in his gaze; lips curving up in a sadistic _almost_ smile. "Does it bother you, half-breed?"

"You've changed."

"I am no different," Sesshoumaru assured him coolly.

The air around them stirred, buckling under the tension. "Does she know?" Inuyasha questioned quietly, careful the young woman scrutinizing the pair with anxiety from her window would not overhear.

He raised a slender brow.

"Does she know what you _are_?" The hanyou spat.

"No," he answered indifferently. "I suppose you'll enlighten her?" It was amazing how Sesshoumaru managed to sound so mocking without betraying his deadpan tone.

"No," Inuyasha decided after a moment, "_you_ will."

That was a puzzling answer, the youkai admitted. The other brother seemed to sense the mild confusion.

His tone was serious, yet his eyes seemed to laugh in spite of the inu youkai. "You've been in close contact with her a lot, but she hasn't been harmed in any way, Sesshoumaru. Unless… you've decided to start playing with your food." Inuyasha's face twisted in disgust at his own musings.

Sesshoumaru could feel his instincts pull and knot, and his mind took a shady turn. _How easily that half-blood flesh would bleed!_ He realized with a twist of his heel as he stepped forward. In some lost part of his rationality he _knew_ she was watching. _Knew_ he would frighten her. _Knew_ she would hate him when he killed this disgrace that had plagued the corners of his mind for _so long_.

Inuyasha noticed the potent gleam in his brother's eyes, and he prepared himself for the worst.

_I was abandoned for this half-breed_, the inu youkai remembered. _I needed no one_, he reassured himself.

Sesshoumaru laughed, the sound dark and cursed. "Have you come to visit your aniki, then?" He questioned. His voice was low, fell on the hanyou's ears in a sick, soothing tone.

Inuyasha scowled, eyes narrowed. "Keh, don't be a wishful thinker." He flexed his claws. The youkai came closer.

"You gonna eat this one too?" the half-demon bit out, tensing. "She can't be over sixteen."

Sesshoumaru growled. His youkai blood burned, clouded mind craving what he had always denied. His lips curved in a silent snarl. _I am no different_.

**:----:**

Delicate fingers clasped the edge of a wooden sill, showing the white of her knuckles. She shuddered, trembled. The wind pushed at her face and pulled at her hands and churned as if seeking shelter by the girl. As if whispering from some deep, lost recess she knew it was afraid _too_. Afraid for her, for them, for _him_. And it was absurd, because it was _his fault_.

_He_ was the one who frightened _her_. Stillshe was afraid for _him_, too.

And could almost, almost _forget_-

The wind bowed and jerked. Rin pulled herself away from the scene, slammed the window shut. Moving quickly, she hurried down the flight of stairs. They creaked and moaned beneath her feet, commanded she stay. And it was unheeded with only a slight hesitation in her steps, because had to get _out_ there.

"Rin-chan!" Kagome's voice chirped readily. "Where are you-"

"Outside, won't take long," the younger woman answered too hastily. "Inuyasha's tampering with the bathroom faucet," she added, almost as an after thought.

The raven-haired woman stared, caught off guard by her friend's almost panicked state and the slam of a front door. She turned her gaze to the stairs, worried her bottom lip. _With the faucet? Yeah, right._ "I'll be… right back, Remy, I need to check something…"

**:----:**

A deep sense of dread swelled in the hanyou's chest watching him advance. Sesshoumaru's before essence disbanded, vanished within the hungry beast whose eyes bled a haunting red. Elongated fangs protruded over his lower lip in a malicious sneer. Inuyasha saw his brother step, saw him raise a hand, and step again.

But he did not see the youkai swing left in a fluid sweep to stand behind him, until he felt the prick of claws digging into the arm now twisted behind him. Inuyasha growled, swung his other arm around to strike Sesshoumaru's face, only to be thrust forward by a knee to his back.

"Please, _stop_!"

The young woman's voice echoed in Sesshoumaru's ears and made him turn. He watched her freeze in horror, and he relished the scent of her terror. Oh, how he wanted to _add_ to it!Flexing claws at his side, he leapt.

_**No**!_ The hanyou's mind roared. He moved; legs burned with the sudden burst of speed, yet he was still so _slow_.

And Rin was knocked to the ground, air gone from her lungs. She rasped, his weight crushing her small fame. She could feel his chest rumble in a low growl, his hands pinning hers, his breath on her cheek. His eyes stole into hers, and with a choked cry she fell limp as he nuzzled his face to her neck and _breathed_.

"Sesshoumaru," she wheezed in a dead whisper, only distantly aware of the half-demon beating and jerking at him. "_Please_ _stop_."

The youkai heard her faint plea. He tightened his grip on her in response to Inuyasha's onslaught. _I cannot! _He wanted to yell at her. _This is your doing, your mistake for tempting me._ He ran a warm tongue over her skin, and shuddered as she did. _You made this happen, I cannot stop._

"**_Please_**," she begged. "I know you don't want to do this-" _But what do I know?_ _He's going to kill me. But his eyes- they are not his… he couldn't._

Sesshoumaru lifted his head, shifted his weight from her. Gold took crimson, and he watched her with ragged breaths. Her neck shone wet, and he stiffened.

Inuyasha heaved, shoved his brother off her. The youkai tensed, grimaced as he landed on his back. And then he closed his eyes, and fell still.

"Is he-"

"No," Inuyasha muttered. He tossed her a withering glare as he knelt beside Sesshoumaru's body. No doubt he was insane, the way he had had _reacted_- "Why did you do that? He could have _killed_ you!"

Rin shuddered, pulling herself up. "Do what…?" She questioned softly.

"Come out here! That bas-"

"He would have killed you."

The hanyou scowled, and chose to ignore the comment. "We need to get rid of Sesshoumaru while we can, otherwise more than just you will wind up dead."

"He wouldn't-"

"It's his nature!" Inuyasha exasperated. "It's what he _does_!" He ran a shaky hand through silver bangs, frowned. It was impossible, because by now she should have understood and _known_.

The woman pulled her knees to her chest, and felt her racing heart. "I don't… understand. I just, I really don't think he was…"

He eyed the inu youkai wearily. "A long time ago-"

"How long ago," she interrupted, biting the inside of her cheek.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome's voice cut through the air in a shrill shriek. Eyes fell on the window of Rin's second story room. "What happened?" She questioned abruptly, "And who's _that_?"

The hanyou groaned.

**:----:**

**NOTES: It's so short! I know. I'm sorry. I was kind of happy with the beginning of this chapter, then halfway through it's like it lost all its flare. Don't worry, a lot will be explained probably in the _next_ chapter. I hope. n.n I really lost my way writing this. –Dies-**

**Q: Miroku and Sango?**

**A: I'll try to find a place for them…**

**Q: How long until more Wicca?**

**A: Soon. Very, very soon.**

**Q: Any more flashbacks or information on Sesshoumaru's past?**

**A: Soon. Very, very soon.**

**Thank you so much to EVERYONE who took the time to review. –Attacks with muffins of love that I might have accidentally burnt, but all well!- I love getting feedback because it really let's me know how I'm doing. Feel free to make suggestions.**

**A special thanks to Reiycheru, Gesserit, Kagome2004, and RebelNekoAngel for your helpful reviews! –Hugs tight-**

**Check out the link in my profile to a brand new English SessRin site. It has beautiful layouts to choose from, doujinshi, fanfiction, fanart, a forum (where we discuss the manga and stuff), and much MUCH more!**

**THANK YOU BRITTANY! I highly recommend all SessKag readers float to my profile and click the link to her page. (MyLamb)**

**Also, Elizabeth is trying to reach 100 one-shots. (Hope she doesn't mind me advertising! XD ) So if you want to suggest one click her link on my profile! (A twisted vine) **

**AND once more, very sorry this is so short and muddled. School just started, and being a freshman is hard. –Complains- x3 I will update very soon though. Two weeks tops. Hopefully, by next Tuesday. Wee! **


	10. Chapter 10

**Sorry! Sorry! Sorry! -Dies- -Comes back as Zombie- School sucks the life outta me, ya know? n.n I meant to update like… seven weeks ago. Seriously, I have no excuse for waiting this long. I understand if people have stopped reading this by now, I would have. n.n –Nervous laugh- Also, I've been kind of worried about this chapter. –Breathes- Thank you everyone for reading and reviewing! Special thanks to MyLamb, Sammi, and Karina. (Sorry if I misspelled any names.)**

**Temptation (They told me in church to resist _temptation_, but screw 'dat. :D )**

**Chapter 10: Wind**

**:----:**

"Put him on the couch! The _couch_!" Remy ran a hand through her hair, eyeing the man Inuyasha had slung over his back wearily. "Be careful! Watch your muddy feet-"

Kagome floundered around the room, questioning and demanding answers, as Rin stood silent in the corner. Her stomach churned.

"Who is he? Why is he here?-"

"-I just washed that rug-"

"-Is there something you've not told me Inuyasha-"

"-And you're all so _wet_-"

"-Because without trust-"

"-So please be careful and I'll go make some tea-"

"-We simple can't get married!"

"-While you all… sort this out."

"Are you finished?" The hanyou snapped. He grit his teeth and tried a more pleasant tone. "Remy, I need you to go to the nearest store and buy some cranberry juice. It _has_ to be room temperature."

"_Why_… ?"

"There's no time for questions! Hurry. And don't tell anyone about… him," Inuyasha gestured to his brother's limp form.

Remy bustled from the room. "I'll be back in a jiffy!"

"Why do we need cranberry juice?" Kagome frowned.

He closed his eyes. "Can you go back to that gas station we passed and find some duct tape? We'll need it."

His fiancée's eyes narrowed. "Now, you-"

"Please?" Inuyasha pleaded softly. She looked away with a muttered 'fine' and departed. The door slammed on her way out.

Rin bit the inside of her cheek. "Why do you-"

"I don't. I need to explain some things to you," the hanyou began to pace. "Apparently this bastard neglected to." As if he heard the insult, Sesshoumaru shifted.

Rin slid into the nearby armchair, and tried to sort herself out. She felt like a cat that had just been dropped into a cage of hungry dogs. The itching knowledge it was _hopeless_-

- _Hopeless because she ignored all his warnings, ignored her own perceptions_ -

- And hopeless because in all these surreal happenings she had yet to find him even _once_.

Inuyasha moved uneasily to his brother's body, and lifted one of his eyelids. He pulled back with over-expressed displeasure. "It's all still red. You know the last time he ate?"

"Ate...?" The girl murmured, racking her brain for any snippet of memory she had of him eating _anything_. She trembled, and pulled at a lock of her hair.

"Never mind," the hanyou growled. "You really dug your own grave. Here you are pressing flesh with him and you know nothing about him."

"I _have not_ and _would not_ want to-"

"Well he sure as hell does," Inuyasha interrupted with a wry grin. His eyes found her, the warning in them clear.

Rin felt her cheeks burn, and bit the inside of her cheek. "Will you just get this 'explanation' over with?"

The half demon sighed. "Sesshoumaru's not human."

"Obviously," she said softly, "He's an inu youkai."

"I know!" Inuyasha spat testily. "You seem rather calm for someone who just experienced all _that_."

The young woman stiffened, wondering how he could be so _wrong_. "I was… taught to never overreact."

"So if some guy tried to rape you, you'd not do anything?"

"Actually," she breathed, "I'd scream my head off and kick his ass, but that's beside the point. I knew… Sesshoumaru wouldn't hurt me."

Inuyasha stared at her. "Yea, he was just trying to play patty cake with you." Ignoring her annoyed glare, he continued on. "What I mean is, he's a lot… different than we are. You and I eat hamburgers, salad, whatever. He feeds on… blood."

"Blood?" She repeated, raising a brow at the absurdity of it, while her stomach balked at the same moment. Somehow, it just didn't seem _so_… unbelievable?

"Keh. That's what I said."

"So you're telling me, Sesshoumaru's a vampire."

"If that's the term for it, yea."

She was silent a moment, digesting the information. "Does that make you half-vampire?" Rin finally asked, cracking a small smile. It felt like someone was pulling at her mind, tickling her sides. _Hysterical_.

"I'm not making it up!" Inuyasha sputtered, jabbing a finger in his half brother's direction. "He's a fucking _blood_ sucker! Look, I understand you probably don't believe-"

"Prove your claim," The young woman cut him short with her own empty tone.

"What-"

"Prove to _me_, beyond reasonable doubt, Sesshoumaru is a _vampire_."

The hanyou seemed caught off guard by her demand. His left ear twitched, golden eyes fixating on the person in question. "Have you ever seen him eat?"

"No, but maybe he doesn't like to eat in front of others?"

"Don't you notice how everyone avoids him?"

"He's ominous looking, even I have to admit. This is a small, mainly human town. It's no surprise."

"How about how his eyes turned red out there?"

"It's common among youkai when they get overwhelmed, very angry, or are readying to transform into their true forms-"

"Yes," Inuyasha growled, "but none of those answers are right in _his_ case."

Rin shifted in the chair. "So what _are_ the right answers?"

"He doesn't eat 'human' food, because he feeds _on_ humans! Humans avoid him, because they're following their instincts without knowing it. And his eyes turned _red_ because he was hungry. Keh, probably starving. Waiting until he could make _you_ his meal-"

She pulled her fingers into fists at her sides. "You can't prove any of-"

"Look! Just hear me out okay? Those two will be back soon."

"… Fine."

The silver-haired boy ran a clawed hand through his hair. The room seemed to settle around them, the dull ringing of silence interrupted only by the shallow breaths of his half brother. "Believe it or not – and I have a birth certificate to _prove_ it – I was born about a hundred years ago… And by that time, Sesshoumaru was all ready around seventeen or so in human looks. We lived in Europe then, the old man liked to move around a lot…"

**:---:**

"Mom, Mom, _look_! Look, Mom! _Mom_!" The five-year-old tugged on his mother's sleeve, pointing with his other finger towards a distant formation of planes in the sky. He squinted, determined to see something important.

"It's just a few British planes, dear," Izayoi answered in a hushed voice.

The land around them was hills, earth swelling and falling like an ocean frozen mid-storm and painted green. Inuyasha tugged a wool cap down over his ears, the whistling wind too high-pitched for his liking. The bright, overhead sun wasn't helping his eyes much, either. "Are they in the fight?" He asked hesitantly.

The woman lifted her head to the wind. "I suppose. If we're lucky The War won't last long."

"I'm gonna kill all the Hun!" Inuyasha shouted, raising a small fist to the air.

"Really now, Half-breed?" A cold voice questioned, shattering the moment.

Izayoi stiffened. Her head snapped back, and the way her sweet scent darkened with anxiety made Inuyasha turn back too. "Sesshoumaru," She breathed uneasily, "It's nice to see you again. You disappeared just before Inuyasha was born. _Where did you go_…?"

The half demon was silent, eyeing the man before him wearily. _He looks like Dad_, Inuyasha noticed. But he also noticed the ice in the man's voice, and the menace burned into his eyes.

"Have you forgotten your own words, human?" the demon asked coolly, "Is it not true you forced Father to choose between yourself and this Sesshoumaru? Dare correct me if I am wrong."

The woman paled. "I was just worried about-" _Will he kill my son and me now? Is this why he's returned… ?_

"'Shomeru!" A small voice chirped, "I'm Inuyasha."

Cold eyes lingered on the young half demon only a moment before Sesshoumaru turned and began at a smooth pace towards his father's scent. Izayoi scooped her son into her arms, and hurried after him. _He's heading towards our home?_

The young mother followed him hesitantly, anxiously. Should she be there when this _monster_ confronted her husband? Wouldn't it be better for her to run away, save herself from the likely wrath of her husband's first-born? The second option was without doubt the more appealing one. Still, her own mother had taught Izayoi that the longer you ran, the more you had to run _from_.

Inuyasha could feel the muscles drawn tense in his mother's arms, and as young as he was, knew from several experiences this meant she was worried – or afraid. And if this stranger was enough to scare _her_, it was definitely enough to frighten him, too.

The house was small, compared to what the family could afford. In fact, it really was _too_ small. Izayoi found the four-roomed house's coating of green paint endearing at first, only to now notice it was a rather sick, pale shade. The wooden porch and hard walkway – flanked with flowers – seemed all together tacky at the moment. Izayoi could feel her heart slowing in her chest, realizing her home was _nothing_ in the eyes of Sesshoumaru.

He would not walk into the kitchen and feel the warmth of watching Inuyasha's first steps, or step on to the porch and smile because one of the wooden boards was missing – the victim of a heavy-footed father. No, he would see only the crumbling remains of something that once made another family proud, and he would feel _nothing_. Then again, wasn't it _likely_ he always felt nothing?

When Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes at the front door, Inuyasha felt his mother's hands grab a fistful of his hair. He cried out lightly, but she didn't seem to notice she was holding on to the sensitive locks at all. The hanyou twisted on her hip, not used to be held so long.

The door opened with a drawn out groan. The sound usually rang with an eager greeting. This time Izayoi could only hear its low protest, and couldn't help but agree.

Sesshoumaru seemed not to notice, and the young demon stepped into a dimly lit, blue-walled kitchen. He found who he was looking for immediately, empty eyes finding his old man the same moment Inu no Taishou's eyes found his son's. "Sesshoumaru… I almost thought maybe you were-"

"Dead," the stoic youkai finished darkly. "It appears I am not."

"I'm so relieved," the older demon breathed. Sesshoumaru chose not to comment; even he couldn't deny the relief flooding his father's scent. "It's been years…"

"Six is not much to youkai," he said blandly, as if commenting on the time of day.

Izayoi slipped from the room, cradling her son against her chest in a quick hug before lowering the boy to the floor of his bedroom. "Stay in here and play with that new toy?"

"Why?"

"I'll come and get you soon, right now you just need to _stay in here_."

The closed the door as softly as she could, nearly cringing when the floor squeaked beneath her light steps. Her breaths were shallow, and even quiet voices spoken in the house's kitchen carried.

"Why have you come back, Sesshoumaru?"

"Do you wish me to leave?"

The woman hovered in her hallway.

"Don't speak such nonsense!" Her husband's voice sounded tired, "You and I both know you wouldn't come back here without reason."

"Indeed." Sesshoumaru agreed immediately, "I have found the one who… turned me." He'd paused, wondering silently over the choice of words.

"And you want me to help you kill them?"

"Yes," The younger demon admitted coolly. Would his father reject him again?

Inu no Taishou's eyes flickered to the walkway, knowing his wife lingered there. He could hear her heart beat, and feel her worry. 'Will he join him?' She was thinking, 'Will he leave me and our son?' "Sesshoumaru, I understand how desperate you are – enough to come find me here. But, I can't just _leave_."

In his room, a wooden airplane clattered to the floor. Inuyasha cringed, ears flattening over his head. The empty scream in the air, he couldn't _escape_ it. It reverberated in his head, and made him scream, too. The ghost of an echo breathed down his neck, and over the vacant wail he could hear the voice of his father rising in volume. "Stop, Sesshoumaru! He won't understand! **_Stop_**!"

Inuyasha heard his own frantic screams, begging the sound to stop. He pushed on the door, stumbling into his mother in the hall. He could see Sesshoumaru staring at his father, but neither was speaking. The wail became louder, clawing at him until he was sure he was _bleeding_. Because he could feel it in his head, in his fingers, in his stomach, but he could not _hear_ it. Why did his mother seem to notice _nothing_?

"Get _out_." Inu no Tashou growled.

Sesshoumaru bowed his head, and disappeared out the door. Inuyasha grimaced, and fell.

There had been three murders that night. Each the same, all with two puncture wounds to the neck, and drained of their blood_. "A sick joke of the Hun!"_ people hissed, touching their own necks as they spoke. _"They're devils, how can they not be?"_

"Sesshoumaru…" Inu no Taishou watched the sun sink beneath the hills, the dead pain in his chest eating him from the inside out. "What have you _become_?"

Inuyasha shuddered, and the air around him broke.

**:----:**

**Notes: Wow. You'd think after such a long wait the chapter would at least be good. D: I couldn't wait for MyLamb to beta, so it's even worse that department. –Dies-**

**Sorry to everyone. I know this lacked… I dunno, it just really lacked something, ya know? I hope everyone wasn't TOO out of character, and that the flashback didn't bore you to tears. **

**Also, if you're not too familiar with history, that flashback took place during WWI. And the screaming thing, if that wasn't clear, was something only Inu no Taishou and Inuyasha could here, coming from Sesshoumaru. So, I guess… nothing happened in this chapter? -Sigh- I'll kick the next one out fast, I _swear_. Basketball won't stop me!**

**Thank you, again, to everyone who took the time to read and review this. It's your feedback that pushed me to not just give up on a story that seems at the moment, so dead in the water. **

**Extra notes: The sequel to Twilight is out! It's called 'New Moon' and is as good as the first. You will NOT REGRET READING IT! Stephanie Meyer is indeed, amazing.**

**And see my profile for a link to the Sess x Rin site! It has a forum, fanart, fanfics, doujinshi, everything! Not to mention beautiful layouts! And if you're familiar with the artist JadeT, then you'll enjoy it there even more!**


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